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The Butler Has to Pick a New Title for an Insane Reason

“But … I was the White House butler for eight presidencies …â€

Warner Bros. seems to have successfully prevented the Weinstein Company from titling Lee Daniels’s new movie The Butler; evidently that was the name of — get this — a short comedy film at WB almost 100 years ago. “TWC has brushed off the ruling and hired high-powered attorney David Boies to handle an appeal and possible lawsuit,â€Â Variety reports. Boies, who seems to be on point, says, “The suggestion that there is a danger of confusion between TWC’s 2013 feature movie and a 1917 short that has not been shown in theaters, television, DVDs, or in any other way for almost a century makes no sense. The award has no purpose except to restrict competition and is contrary to public policy.†The starry, history-spanning White House film is slated for Aug. 16 and already has a trailer with the big fat words The Butler on it.

The Butler Has to Pick a New Title