And now for your Odd News Story of the Day. If you saw The Hangover Part II, you certainly remember the new bit of facial decoration Stu acquired during this round of drug-induced amnesia. Specifically, Stu, played by Ed Helms, awoke with a tattoo patterned after boxer Mike Tyson's infamous facial ink. Well, here's a bit of trivia that probably never would have occurred to most of us, but really should have occurred to the Warner Bros. legal department: somebody designed that tattoo, the one that's on Mike Tyson's face, and by extension the one that's on Ed Helms' face for most of The Hangover Part II. And that guy would like a quick word, if you don't mind.
The Hollywood Reporter says that the tattoo's designer and copyright holder, a bloke named S. Victor Whitmill, had previously attempted to stop the film's release. Now that that particular cat's out of the bag, Whitmill is seeking an "injunction against the film's distribution and/or damages for copyright infringement." This could be the biggest tattoo-related case since The Ghost of Norma Jeane Mortenson vs. Megan Fox's Right Forearm.
What does the lawsuit mean for Warner Bros. and The Hangover Part II, aside from probably having to cut a check to Mr. Whitmill? Well, the studio says that if the matter can't be resolved quickly, they will digitally alter the questionable tattoo before the movie's home-video release in December. If they need inspiration, I'm sure the internet can help them out.
