Warner Bros. experiencing a Hangover, a potential delay on the summer hit.
S. Victor Whitmill is giving Warner Bros. a right hook they cannot handle. The tattooist, who gave boxer Mike Tyson his “Maori-inspired facial tattoo”, has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. because they used the tattoo on one of the characters in The Hangover Part II, which could delay the release of the movie.
The sequel to the box office hit The Hangover, this one’s about another bachelor party that leads to another hangover, where Stu, played by Ed Helms, wakes up in a bathtub with the tattoo on his face that appears to be Mike Tyson’s.
Whitmill has filed for copyright infringement and said that Warner Bros. never asked for permission to use the tattoo.
On April 28, Whitmill filed a motion in Federal District Court in St. Louis, asking the judge to halt Warner Brothers from using his ‘tribal tattoo’ in posters or even in the movie. On Friday, Warner Bros. responded saying that any delay in the film’s release could have huge financial risks.
Mike Tyson, who appears in the film, said “all artwork, sketches and drawings related to my tattoo and photographs of my tattoo are property” of Whitmill, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Helms, who carries Tyson’s tattoo throughout the movie said that Tyson wasn’t aware that they were using his tattoo. Helms told Entertainment Weekly, “His reaction to the tattoo is in the movie because they did not prep him or me beforehand. As his arrival on set was imminent, it became clear that no one had told him about the tattoo bit, and I was actually worried he’d be mad at me and the switch would flip, But he was so cool about it. He is misunderstood. He’s like the nicest man. He couldn’t be cooler so it was a little anti-climactic.”
Warner Bros. and the premiere of The Hangover Part II are in jeopardy after this one. The much-anticipated film is set to premiere this Friday, May 26.
