Warner Bros. Pictures and S. Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist who sued the studio over the facial art, have put their dispute to an end on Friday during an all-day mediation in St. Louis.
- Jun 21, 2011
AceShowbiz - Tattoo issue which has been circling "The Hangover Part II" is now settled. Warner Bros. Pictures has inked a deal with tattoo artist S. Victor Whitmill, who claimed that facial art on Ed Helms' face is similar to one he created for Mike Tyson.
"Warner Bros. and Mr. Whitmill have amicably resolved their dispute. No other information will be provided," Whitmill's lawyer Geoff Gerber told The Hollywood Reporter. Insiders said that the settlement was hammered during an all-day mediation in St. Louis on Friday, June 17. Although terms of settlement are yet to be announced, this deal means that the tattoo will remain on Helms' face.
Whitmill and WB's dispute started as the artist claimed that he owned the copyright for the tattoo. At that time, Whitmill filed a complaint which read, "Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. - without attempting to contact Mr. Whitmill, obtain his permission, or credit his creation - has copied Mr. Whitmill's Original Tattoo and placed it on the face of another actor..."
On May 24, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine D. Perry denied Whitmill's request and let the studio release the R-rated comedy film. Later, WB planned to digitally change the tattoo for the home video version should the case continue even longer.
A sequel to "The Hangover", "The Hangover Part II" follows Stu, Phil, Alan and Doug who travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. In addition to Helms, Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha reprise their roles in the flick. The Todd Phillips-directed movie managed to rule the box office with $86.5 million in its first week after being released on May 26.
