The Butler can now officially be called Lee Daniels’ The Butler. While The Weinstein Company did lose an appeal to the MPAA to keep The Butler title, they will get to attach the director’s name and keep the word ‘butler.’
TWC had been battling with Warner Bros. over the Butler title, since WB claimed that TWC didn’t go through the proper rules to get The Butler approved. WB challenged TWC because it owns the rights to an obscure 1916 short with the same title and WB won the first round, getting the MPAA’s title bureau to agree that TWC didn’t follow the rules. The MPAA then ruled that TWC would have to change the film’s name and that they couldn’t even use the word butler in the title, even though that’s what the film’s about.
The fight went public, with lawyers for both sides trading statements in the press. Harvey Weinstein even went on CBS This Morning and claimed there was an ‘ulterior motive’ behind it.’ The Oscar-winning producer surmised that WB wanted to shut him out of profits from The Hobbit.
TWC filed an appeal and on Friday, the MPAA still ruled in WB’s favor, but they took back the part about not letting them use ‘butler’ in the title. According to Deadline, TWC will now be allowed to call it Lee Daniels’ The Butler, as long as Daniels’ name is at least 75 percent the size of The Butler in promotional materials.
Still, TWC has to cut WB a pretty big check - $150,000 for legal fees. It will also have to pay Entertainment Industry Foundation $400,000 in sanctions. It will also have to pay the foundation another $50,000 a day after July 26 if it doesn’t get new digital promotional material out by then.
TWC spokesperson Dani Weinstein told THR that the new ruling is “clearly a pretty big victory for us,” adding, “Our biggest concern had been that we wouldn't be able to use the words 'the butler' at all.” WB didn’t release a statement.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler is set to open on Aug. 16 and stars Forest Whitaker as a butler for eight administrations in the White House. Oprah Winfrey also has a role.
image: TWC