The movie formerly known as Austin Powers in Goldmember should now be referred to as “the third installment of Austin Powers“-at least for the time being.
The title chosen originally for Austin Powers was ruled inadmissible by the Motion Picture Association of America on Thursday following a protest by MGM/UA, Variety reports.
New Line Cinema has already removed thousands of trailers and withdrawn posters promoting the film after MGM complained that the title Goldmember was too close to that of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
According to the MPAA, the Austin Powers production team failed to follow industry guidelines on marketing.
New Line Cinema has vowed to appeal the decision and said in a statement, “the issue currently in dispute does not pertain to the title or content of the film. Indeed, in 1997, New Line’s use of the title The Spy Who Shagged Me was cleared by the MPAA.”
The Spy Who Shagged Me spoofs the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
But MGM hardly has a reputation for leniency when it comes to their prized Bond franchise. The studio has been known for coming down on auto companies who have the chutzpah to use a well-dressed spy to sell cars in television commercials.
In fact, MGM did oppose the use of The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1997, but New Line countered the suit and won.
A spokesman for MGM told Variety, “MGM/UA and Danjaq have a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone who tries to trade in on the James Bond franchise without authorization.”
Goldmember is the name of one of four characters played by Mike Myers in the film, which is scheduled for release on July 26, 2002.
