The movie is newly released so many may not know this, but Piranha 3D has a character (played by Jerry O’Connell) in it that has a lot of people are comparing to Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis…most likely because he runs a little venture called “Wild Wild Girls.” The entrepreneur has faced many legal battles in the past, but now we find him threatening one on the new movie and the studio behind it, The Weinstein Company.
In a letter from Francis’s lawyers, all parties were warned that any type of “defamatory or disparaging statements, or depictions, in the media or in the film itself, or other statements that portray Mr. Francis in a false light, will be met with swift litigation.” This may leave the Weinsteins and others not too thrilled with O’Connell, who has on multiple occasions stated that he “gets to play Joe Francis,” and then steps back and clarifies “Oh, wait. For legal reasons I’m supposed to say, ‘I play someone loosely based on Joe Francis.'”
You can click on over to the other side to read quotes from Francis and the full letter from his lawyers. Be warned, there are spoilers in these quotes, but a movie like Piranha 3D being spoiled probably shouldn’t worry you too much.
In a statement from Francis himself, the mega-multi-millionaire (said to possibly be worth around $100 million, backed strongly by his possession of a personal jet his own island) had this to say:
I believe Mr. O’Connell may lose more than his penis (i.e., lots of money) if he and the Weinstein Co. choose to release this film and continue to falsely associate me with its questionable content.
I appreciate a good parody as much as the next guy, but to associate me with drugs and the filming of underage girls crosses a definite line. Jerry O’Connell has repeatedly and emphatically stated on the public record that he is “playing Joe Francis,” NOT a fictional character based on me. Mr. O’Connell has done this despite having been warned by his own lawyers not to admit this.
The Weinstein Company had no comment, as is usual when regarding a legal matter.
You can check out the full letter below by clicking away.
Letter
[Source: THR, Esq.]
BS it’s a parody.
Comment by MK2Fac3 — August 20, 2010 @ 12:49 pm
Sounds like O’Connell is an absolute moron. How much smarts does it take to know that a comment like that is gonna land you and the studio in some hot water. Without those comments by O’Connell, the whole thing would blow over a lot easier.
Comment by Josh — August 20, 2010 @ 1:09 pm