MGM sues producers of ‘Raging Bull II’

Will Perkins
·Blogger

The gloves are off! The producers of "Raging Bull II" have taken on all comers so far, but they may have met their match in their next opponent. The new film, starring William Forsythe ("Boardwalk Empire"), is a prequel/sequel to Martin Scorcese's classic 1980 film "Raging Bull," in which Robert De Niro (who famously gained 60 lbs. for the film) played champion boxer Jake LaMotta. Based on LaMotta's 1970 memoir of the same name, Scorsese's film focused on the boxer's rise and fall in professional pugilism.

"Raging Bull II," the somewhat unexpected (and many would say unnecessary) follow-up, will chronicle LaMotta's life before and after boxing. The sequel has rubbed many fans of the original film the wrong way, particularly because Scorsese and De Niro are not involved with the project in any way.

See also: Robert De Niro earns honourary doctorate

But fans aren't the only ones upset by the prospect of a "Raging Bull" sequel. According to Deadline, movie studio MGM has filed a lawsuit against the now 91-year-old LaMotta and the film's producers, RBII Productions, to stop the sequel from being released.

The suit claims that the sequel infringes on the deal made between LaMotta and United Artists (producers of the original film), which gave the MGM-owned studio first dibs on any potential sequel or follow-up. The core argument made by MGM is that this unauthorized, low-budget sequel would "irreparably tarnish the value" of the original "Raging Bull."

And is it any wonder that MGM would be protective of the film? "Raging Bull" was nominated for eight academy awards (winning two, including the Best Actor prize for De Niro) and is now widely considered one of the greatest films of all time. While nobody has actually seen the sequel yet, one look at "Raging Bull II" director Martin Guigui's direct-to-video pedigree proves that he's no Martin Scorcese. "My X-Girlfriend's Wedding Reception"? "National Lampoon's Cattle Call"? Add to that the film's less-than-A-list cast that also includes Joe Mantegna, Tom Sizemore, Natasha Henstridge, and Harry Hamlin, and it's easy to understand why MGM would be worried.

See also: Learn more about Robert De Niro

"Boardwalk Empire's" Forsythe, who plays LaMotta in the sequel, says that he understands the criticism that has been leveled at "Raging Bull II," but maintains that they're committed to doing it right. "It's such an iconic, beautiful and amazing first film — one of the great films maybe of all time. But our story has a lot more heart and I think it's a beautiful depiction of who Jake really is," Forsythe told the Calgary Herald a few months ago.

Although the actor has yet to weigh in on MGM's lawsuit, the real-life LaMotta has commented on the situation. In an interview with the New York Post, the retired middleweight did not sound hopeful about the outcome of the lawsuit. "How can you fight a company that big?" LaMotta said.

See also: 'Easy Money' gets Scorcese's seal of approval in new trailer

The aging fighter blamed the sequel's producers for the legal fight and seemed as though he was ready to throw in the towel on the whole matter. "All of these business things, I don't bother with it because I'm not capable, physically or mentally, because I don't hear so good."

"Raging Bull II" just wrapped filming and was due to be released later this year, but MGM's lawsuit throws those plans into disarray. To the relief of fans of the original movie, the film may never be released as a result.

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