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Godzilla's Toho Settles Lawsuit With Anne Hathaway's Monster Film
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Japanese film production and distribution company TOHO and American film production company Voltage Pictures (The Hurt Locker, Dallas Buyers Club) filed a stipulation of dismissal on Friday regarding TOHO's lawsuit over Anne Hathaway's upcoming monster film Colossal. The filing states:
It is hereby stipulated and agreed by and between the parties to this action, through their respective counsel of record, that this action be dismissed with prejudice, with each party bearing their own respective fees and costs. The parties are entering into this stipulation because the matter has been settled.
The settlement is confidential, but the news website Deadline reports that Voltage Pictures and the film's writer and director Nacho Vigalondo agreed that the film will not feature the monster Godzilla or an obvious derivative. TOHO announced the main cast in September for Shin Gojira, the first new Japanese Godzilla film in 12 years.
TOHO filed its lawsuit against Voltage in California federal court in May for allegedly infringing on TOHO's Godzilla copyright. TOHO claimed that Voltage Pictures used the Godzilla name and image without TOHO's permission in their efforts to publicize its upcoming movie Colossal. Vigalondo reportedly said in an interview that the film was "going to be the cheapest Godzilla movie ever, I promise."
According to an email (seen above right) that TOHO claims Voltage sent out to "potential investors," sales agents, and distributors, the Colossal film will star Anne Hathaway as Gloria, a woman stuck in Tokyo while it is "under attack by Godzilla and a giant robot." The alleged email contains images from the Legendary Pictures' 2014 Godzilla film (seen left), and a picture of the Gō Nagai robot Mazinger Z. The alleged email also notes that Vigalondo (Open Windows, Timecrimes) would helm the movie, with Nahikari Ipiña (Timecrimes, Extraterrestrial) credited as producer. Colossal began production in September.
TOHO's claim states that Voltage "intend[s] to use the Godzilla Character in precisely the same way that TOHO used the character in its initial film — attacking Tokyo."
TOHO sued for copyright and trademark infringements, trademark dilution, violations of the Lanham Act, unfair competition and unjust enrichment. They also demanded that Voltage Pictures halt production on the movie, as well as unspecified damages of over US$150,000 per infringement.
The giant reptile Godzilla featured in Gareth Edwards and Legendary Pictures' 2014 Hollywood film Godzilla. The film was the subject of another lawsuit that Legendary Pictures settled with the film's former producers in June.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline
