Harvey Weinstein appeared Tuesday on “CBS This Morning” with his lawyer David Boies and chairman and CEO of the MPAA, Chris Dodd, to discuss the ongoing dispute between the Weinstein Co. and Warner Bros. over changing the title of the upcoming Weinstein pic ” The Butler.”
Weinstein said during the piece that Warner execs told him they would drop the dispute about the title if he gave them rights to “The Hobbit.”
The Weinstein Co. lost a title registration ruling last week and is now being forced to change the title of the film.
Warner Bros. filed the claim last week, saying the Weinstein Co. can’t use the title because of a 1916 short film with the same title.
“The Weinsteins are sophisticated experts in this arena and three neutral arbitrators have penalized them for blatantly disregarding MPAA rules,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson told Variety. “It goes without saying that Warner Bros. has no issue with Lee Daniels’ film — never has — and fully supports the artistic goals of the filmmakers. The Weinsteins’ suggestions to the contrary are deeply offensive and untrue.”
