Anne Hathaway ‘Colossal’ Movie Evades ‘Godzilla’ Sized Lawsuit
Anne Hathaway is no longer the princess she once portrayed. She has morphed from the sweet royal girl to a woman fighting a Kaiiju in Colossal. Before the movie had any chance of reaching theaters, producers had to settle a Godzilla-sized lawsuit. Voltage Pictures reached a settlement with Toho Company, the holders of the Japanese rights to Godzilla, on October 30, allowing the company to move forward to release Colossal, according to a story by Hollywood Reporter.
Talk about the Anne Hathaway movie, co-starring the giant, monster-like, strange creature, first gained notable mention during Cannes in May, 2015. According to a May 12 Hollywood Reporter story, Voltage Pictures, the company making the movie, aimed to launch the project in Cannes in order to attain buyers in the foreign market.
“Transformers versus Adaptation and Godzilla meets Being John Malkovih,” is how the Colossal film was being marketed.
The Cannes description, mentioning Godzilla, spurred Toho to file a complaint in court, claiming that the makers of Colossal“are brazenly producing, advertising, and selling an unauthorized Godzilla film of their own.” The suit particularly noted the interview by writer-director Nacho Vigalondo given in August, 2014, specifically explaining Colossal as a cheap Godzilla movie.
“It’s going to be the cheapest Godzilla movie ever, I promise,” Vigalondo had stated in the interview.
Anne Hathaway, as the movie’s star, was not mentioned in the lawsuit. According to a May 19 Hollywood Reporter report, “The plaintiff is suing for copyright and trademark infringements, trademark dilution, Lanham Act violations, unfair competition and unjust enrichment.” Toho was requesting the court to keep Voltage from being allowed to produce Colossal, along with other damages not mentioned.
On October 30, Toho and Voltage purportedly handed papers to the judge in the case for a stipulation for dismissal, as detailed by Hollywood Reporter. Allegedly, the dismissal was contingent on the movies producers specifically stating that Colossal is not a remake of Godzilla in any way. The settlement allows for Voltage Pictures to move forward in its production and release of Colossal. The monster, originally said to be attacking Tokyo, Godzilla territory, will now be attacking Seoul.
Anne Hathaway is to portray an ordinary woman named Gloria, who ends up in an extraordinary position of saving the world. Gloria is the sympathetic everywoman who leaves New York City to move back to her hometown after losing both her job and fiancé. Gloria realizes that she may not be so ordinary after all when she feels a strange mind connection to a giant lizard-type monster wreaking havoc on Seoul in its quest to conquer the world. Colossal refers to both the huge monster and the colossal task that Anne’s character has been given to save the world.
A new leading man has been named to star with Hathaway as the movie production moves forward. Dan Stevens, of Downton Abbey fame, was just given the male lead role, as first reported by Variety. Stevens is to play the role of the ex-boyfriend of Gloria, who seeks to get back together with her as Gloria fights to save the world.
The Anne Hathaway Twitter fan page, @AHathawayNews, tweeted the news, “Meet the cast of #Colossal!”
Meet the cast of #Colossal! pic.twitter.com/33ffjoxazl
— Anne Hathaway supremacy. (@AHathawayNews) October 27, 2015
Along with Hathaway and Stevens, Colossal has additional celebrity talent taking part in the movie’s production. Also starring in the huge moving picture are Jason Sudeikis, Tim Blake Nelson, and Austin Stowell. The movie is now going forward with production in Vancouver. Anne continues to impress audiences playing parts from a princess to Catwoman, as well as her roles as an everyday woman taking on the world in the recent The Intern, co-starring Robert De Niro, and the upcoming Colossal. The talent and star power of Anne Hathaway is proving to grow to colossal proportions.
[Photo by Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images]
