Warner Bros slammed the Weinstein Company after director Lee Daniels attempted to plea with the film studio over the title change to his new movie "The Butler,"
The studio's attorney John Spiegel wrote a letter to the Weinstein Companies attorney David Boies which accused the company of violating title registration rules on previous occasions. He stated "We represent Warner Bros. Pictures (WBP) and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (collectively, "Warner"). I write in response to your July 3, 2013 letter on behalf of The Weinstein Company's (TWC). TWC's cries of unfairness and its threats to sue Warner are unproductive and unwarranted responses to a situation that TWC alone has created." Spiegel also accused the company of thinking it is the exception to every rule in the film industry.
He continued, "Your letter conspicuously omits to discuss the actual course of events in this case. That is no oversight, of course, because TWC has flagrantly and repeatedly violated the rules of the Title Registration Bureau (TRB) of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA)."
Spiegel also accused the Weinstein Company of using the rules to its convenience and ignoring certain procedures. He stated, "These are the rules and procedures -- among many others -- which have been in place for decades, with which TWC is intimately familiar, and which TWC has invoked many times for its own benefit. And yet, as it has also done several times in the past, TWC has chosen to proceed in reckless disregard of the rules, apparently relying on a self-spun 'Weinstein exception' to the rules whenever and wherever those rules do not solely favor TWC. "
"The Butler" is set for release August 18. However based on legal issues the film will most likely be delayed. Throughout the past months the Weinstein Company has switched several dates for their upcoming movies in order to prepare for awards season. "The Butler" was previously slated for an October release but the company moved it to August. The Weinstein Company has a busy slate this year with "Mandela," "August: Osage County," and Grace of Monaco" being released in the last months of the year. The company has not yet scheduled "The Immigrant" or "Blue is the Warmest Color," making it hard for the company to delay "The Butler." Therefore if the case is not resolved, "The Butler" could easily be delayed until next year and most likely miss out on awards season.