MGM Attempts to Stop Raging Bull II

Jake LaMotta, whose life was the basis of Martin Scorsese’s 1980 Raging Bull, is facing litigation from MGM in regards to production of Raging Bull II. This new sequel, based on LaMotta’s book of the same name, focuses on the later life of the aging boxer.

Although originally written in 1986, the film is only now entering production. MGM filed a complaint claiming that LaMotta was under contractual obligation to offer them the rights to the film. In technical, MGM lawyer terms: “LaMotta and the RBII Defendants are publicly associating the Sequel Picture with the [original] in a manner that is plainly calculated to create confusion in the marketplace and to trade off the value of the [original].”

William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire) was planned to play an aging LaMotta while Mojean Aria plays his younger self. Other actors attached to the project include Penelope Ann Miller, Joe Mantegne, Paul Sorvino and Cloris Leachman. Scorsese and Robert DeNiro have no affiliation with new film in any way.

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