The Motion Picture Association of America has denied an appeal by New Line Cinema that would have allowed the studio to use the title Austin Powers in Goldmember for the third installment of the James Bond spoof movies.
New Line said in a statement on Friday that it was disappointed with the decision, but would abide by the MPAA’s ruling.
“We remain committed to our filmmakers’ vision and are moving forward,” the statement said. No decision has been made on a new title.
The movie formerly known as Austin Powers in Goldmember should be referred to as “the third installment of Goldmember” for the time being.
New Line has already removed thousands of trailers and withdrawn posters promoting the film after MGM complained that the title Goldmember was too close to that of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
In 1997, New Line’s use of the title The Spy Who Shagged Me, which spoofs the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, was cleared by the MPAA.
MGM had opposed the use of The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1997, but New Line countered the suit–and that time they 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.
