You might remember a few weeks ago when Renn brought us news of DTV-sequel writer/director Martin Guigui’s plans to make a sequel (companion film?) to Scorsese’s masterpiece Raging Bull. If it made you angry, well you’re not the only one, as MGM – who is the primary interest holder in an agreement that gives them rights to not only LaMotta’s original memoir but also any “owner-penned sequel” – is pissed.
Saying that LaMotta had “no right” to give RBII Productions rights to the 1986 follow-up to his original memoir, MGM – according to Deadline – “wants the courts to order production on Raging Bull 2, which is currently filming in LA, stopped. Additionally, the studio wants to make sure the indie movie never sees the light of day. MGM also wants compensatory damages and punitive and exemplary damages and more ‘awarded in an amount sufficient to punish the RB II defendants and to deter those who would commit or knowingly seek to profit from similar actions, now or in the future.‘”
That’s a little harsher than your standard cease & desist. The suit (against both RBII Productions and LaMotta himself) was only filed yesterday, so we’ll keep you updated on how it turns out.