Lawsuit Forces ‘Raging Bull 2’ to be Retitled ‘The Bronx Bull’ to Disassociate It With Original Classic

I think the filmmakers behind the new Jake LaMotta movie, formerly titled Raging Bull 2, were smart to keep the production under wraps until it began shooting.  They managed to avoid most of the bad publicity associated with such a project — a prequel/sequel to an all-time classic film featuring no participation of any of the key people who made the original — until it really had to deal with it.  Another problem — an even bigger one — was whether or not Sunset Pictures, which is the studio behind the film, even legally had the right to create the movie, since MGM made the original, purchased the rights to LaMotta’s life story, and has the right of first refusal for a sequel.  Obviously a lawsuit followed, and there was a good chance that Raging Bull 2 would never have seen the light of day (which might not be a bad thing).

But The Hollywood Reporter reveals that this issue has been settled: Sunset Pictures has agreed to rename the film The Bronx Bull (which was LaMotta’s actual nickname during his career), and Dahlia Waingort, producer (and star) of now-titled The Bronx Bull, has released this statement:

The parties have amicably reached a resolution of their pending litigation, pursuant to which production of a film based upon certain events in the life of Jake LaMotta will proceed under the working title The Bronx Bull. That film is not related in any way to the 1980 motion picture entitled Raging Bull, and MGM is not associated with the film in any respect. Neither party will have any further statements regarding this matter.

So there you have it, the project is moving forward.  This is the best for everyone involved, because frankly there’s no reason why another movie about LaMotta shouldn’t be made, it just shouldn’t be made (and marketed) as a sequel to Raging Bull.

We’ll see what comes out of this project, which is directed by National Lampoon’s Cattle Call director Martin Guigui, and stars William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire) as an older LaMotta with Tom Sizemore (Heat), Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), Paul Sorvino (Scorsese’s own Goodfellas) and Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist).