The latest Anne Hathaway project, Colossal, hopped onto the Cannes auction block and found a lawsuit. The film bills itself as an intellectual monster movie that combines elements of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Godzilla. According to legal papers, Hathaway’s indie film directly rips off the Godzilla character.
Colossal‘s synopsis reveals Hathaway as Gloria, an “ordinary woman” tested by “an extraordinary circumstance.” She finds her life’s purpose when Tokyo falls “under attack by Godzilla.” Gloria gradually discovers that she’s the only person who can save the world from destruction “via the power of her mind.”
Deadline reports how Godzilla’s copyright holders, Toho, have sued Voltage pictures for flat-out referring to their film’s monster as Godzilla.
With a Garth Edwards Godzilla sequel from Legendary set for 2018, Toho obviously had a lot to say and show in their complaint today. Citing and show an alleged May 9 email from Voltage to “potential investors,” agents and others, claiming Colossal was about Tokyo being “under attack by Godzilla and a giant robot,” the Japanese company also claimed that Vigalondo’s director’s showed a silhouette of the monster on its cover as well as images inside of “Toho’s series of Godzilla films, the 2014 Godzilla Film, and authorized Godzilla merchandise.” Noting past interview where Vigalondo said he was going to make “the cheapest Godzilla movie ever,” the 6-claim complaint also claims to show a poster in Voltage’s Cannes suite of the movie that looks like Godzilla in action.
“There is nothing subtle about defendants’ conduct,” says the legal action by Aaron Moss and Charles Shepard of LA firm Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP. “They are expressly informing the entertainment community that they are making a Godzilla film and are using the Godzilla trademark and images of Toho’s protected character to generate interest in and to obtain financing for their project.”
A screenshot of the film’s promo materials reveals sloppiness beyond alleged thievery. Colossal‘s sales bid failed to even spell director Vigolondo’s name correctly. Hathaway’s monster movie could have boasted indie status and the star power of a recent Oscar win. Instead, Colossal sounds like a colossal lawsuit.
(Via Deadline)
