Tag Archives: bob weinstein

Weinstein Company

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By Julia Teti

The Weinstein Company

345 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014 [3]

http://weinsteinco.com

Introduction

MV5BMzU5MjEwMTg2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzM3MTYxNA@@._V1_UY268_CR0,0,182,268_AL_

The King’s Speech, Best Picture Winner 2011, Source: imdb.com [15]

Known for it’s numerous films; The Weinstein Company is responsible for the distribution of such movies as The Reader, The King’s Speech, and Silver Linings Playbook and within this past year Macbeth, Carol and The Hateful Eight.[1] A winner of multiple prizes when it comes to awards season, The Weinstein Company is a dominant film distributor and, though still relatively new to Hollywood, is distributing films that have received numerous critical accolades and various nominations among other accomplishments.

 

 

                           

 History

In 2005, the founders of Miramax (1979), Robert and Harvey Weinstein, launched the distribution company known as The Weinstein Company. Dimensions Films is also part of The Weinstein Company as a genre label founded in 1993 by Robert Weinstein. The Weinstein Company has received over 300 Oscar nominations and has won 81 Academy Awards in the short time since it’s founding. The Weinstein Company also is very strong in the realm of television; however, the focus here will be placed on its accomplishments and noteworthy happenings in film.[1] Headquarters for the company are located in New York, NY. The Weinstein Company does not disclose for the public it’s financial reports.

Awards and Accolades

TheHatefulEight_Plakatfinal

The Hateful Eight, Source: imdb.com [16]

Known for it’s award winning films, The Weinstein Company saw a year in which none of its films were nominated in the Best Picture category, the first time since 2008.[2] The Weinstein Company has boasted films such as The King’s Speech and The Artist, both of which took home the Oscar for Best Picture. The year 2016 saw The Weinstein Company receiving ten nominations for it’s three films Carol, The Hateful Eight, and The Hunting Ground.[2] For these three films that did receive nominations, The Hateful Eight won the Oscar for Best Original Score, by Ennio Morricone.[6] Harvey Weinstein has been known to be associated with the Oscars and for campaigning heavily for his nominated films, dating back to before the founding of The Weinstein Company through the Weinstein brother’s previous company Miramax. With the issue of this awards season being equal representation of races in film, Weinstein had stated he would cause a stir with the Academy if Ennio Morricone did not win for his category.[6]

Executives [3]

Photo of Mr. Robert Weinstein (right), Co-Founder, Co-Chairman and Principal and Mr. Harvey Weinstein (left), Co-Founder, Co-Chairman and Principal

Photo of Mr. Robert Weinstein (right), Co-Founder, Co-Chairman and Principal and Mr. Harvey Weinstein (left), Co-Founder, Co-Chairman and Principal [17]

Corporate Shake Ups

Erik Lomis, former Distribution Chief for The Weinstein Company, left his position as of March 2016 to pursue the role of Lead Distributor at Megan Allison’s Annapurna Pictures.[5] The news came in early March of 2016 as Lomis decided not to renew his contract with The Weinstein Company. Lomis has created positive business relationships with theatre owners and various talents in the film industry. Lomis is credited for taking Quentin Tarantino’s ambition to release The Hateful Eight in 70mm and making the idea come to fruition. Lomis is not the only associate to leave The Weinstein Company as of recently.[5]

RADiUS-TWC heads Tom Quinn and Jason Janego exited in summer of 2015.[5] Meryl Poster, former TV President, and Stephen Bruno, Marketing Chief, also dissolved their relationships with The Weinstein Company. With the loss of Janego and Quinn, The Weinstein Company is reconfiguring its boutique distributor RADiUS, responsible for such films as It Follows and Citizenfour. The Weinstein Company is currently planning to expand RADiUS day-and-date releases into new niche markets. An interviewing process has begun for the role of senior acquisitions executives to manage the VOD division. RADiUS is credited in helping The Weinstein Company with a scaled down, multi-platform release of the film Snowpiercer. The Weinstein brothers are also currently downsizing with a more focused slate of films for the 2016-year.[4]

Current Film: Jane’s Got a Gun

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Jane Got a Gun, Source: imdb.com [19]

The Weinstein Company’s latest film to come to theaters is Jane Got a Gun, starring Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton. The film had been hit with constant delays. In production, Jane Got a Gun’s original director, Lynne Ramsay, quit, various casting changes were made, and the loss of an original distributor, until The Weinstein Company acquired it in September of 2015.The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on January 27, 2016. With an unknown production budget, Jane Got a Gun’s wide release date was January 29, 2016.[7] The film’s domestic gross is currently $1,513,793 and made $835,572 in its opening weekend with it’s widest release being shown in 1,210 theaters. The close date for the film was February 25, 2016.[8]

 

 

Future Projects

With a shift to television, The Weinstein Company will be releasing fewer films this year. As of now, The Weinstein Company has three films with set release dates; The Founder is being released August 5, 2016, Hands of Stone is set to be released August 26, 2016, and Lion is going to be released November 25, 2016.[10] Originally, The Weinstein Company had the release dates for The Founder and Lion switched. In previous years, The Weinstein company has seen much success when releasing it’s films around the Thanksgiving holiday, which may be the cause for the change in the McDonald’s origin story starring Michael Keaton being released in August rather than November. Lion, a more touching family story, has the advantage a very dominant cast, including Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel and Rooney Mara, who recently saw success with her second Oscar nomination for Carol, another Weinstein Company production.[9] With the changed date, this means publicity for The Founder is beginning in full swing.

[20]

The trailer for the film premiered on April 21, 2016 and a poster for the film was previously released.[13] By creating space between the two films, The Weinstein Company is offering opportunity for its films to be considered awards season bait as they are spread further apart. Further in the future, Rooney Mara will be working in another Weinstein production, portraying New Testament figure Mary Magdalene in a biopic.[12] Being eyed to play the role of Jesus Christ is Joaquin Phoenix. A deal is in the works with the actor for the Garth Davis film.[11] In terms of distribution, The Weinstein Company will be working with the production company See-Saw Films, with whom they worked with on the release of The King’s Speech, Macbeth, and this November’s Lion.[12] Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett write the film’s screenplay, and production is scheduled to begin this summer. The Weinstein Company is planning to release the film in 2017.[11]

Sources

[1] The Weinstein Company. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[2] Piccalo, G. (2016, January 14). Oscars 2016: Where was Harvey Weinstein’s nomination? Retrieved April 24, 2016,

[3] The Weinstein Company Inc.: Private Company Information. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[4] Thompson, A. (2016, March 8). The Weinstein Co. to Reconfigure RADiUS. Retrieved April 24, 2016,

[5] McClintock, P. (2016, March 10). Weinstein Co. Shake-Up: Distribution Chief Erik Lomis Exiting (Exclusive). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[6] Harvey Weinstein Jokes About Academy’s Diversity Problem. (2016, February 26). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[7] Chi, P. (2016, January 28). Natalie Portman on Making ‘Jane Got a Gun’: ‘There Was an Obstacle Every Hour, Every Day’. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[8] Jane Got a Gun (2016) – Box Office Mojo. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[9] D’Alessandro, A. (2016, March 01). Weinstein Co.’s ‘The Founder’ Moves To August; ‘Lion’ To Roar During Thanksgiving Week. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[10] Upcoming Movies by Studio / Distributor. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016

[11] Jaafar, A. (2016, April 22). Joaquin Phoenix Eyed To Play Jesus Christ In Mary Magdalene Pic. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[12] Siegel, T. (2016, February 9). Weinstein Co. in Talks to Acquire Mary Magdalene Biopic. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[13] Khatchatourian, M. (2016, April 21). Michael Keaton Builds McDonald’s Empire in ‘The Founder’ First Trailer. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[14] Weinstein Company Logo. The Weinstein Company. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[15] The King’s Speech Poster. IMDB Media. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[16] The Hateful Eight Poster. IMDB Media. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[17] Photo of Robert and Harvey Weinstein. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[18] RADiUS TWC logo. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[19] Jane Got a Gun Poster. IMDB Media. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[20] The Founder Trailer. Youtube. Retrieved April 24, 2016

[21] Photo of David Glasser. Retrieved April 25, 2016

 

Weinstein Company

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by Phoebe Steinfeld
The Weinstein Company

[1] The Weinstein Company logo

About TWC

Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein, the original creators of MIRIMAX Films, which was sold to Disney in 1993, founded the Weinstein Company in 2005. TWC is an independent production and distribution known for its knack for taking home Oscars and ability to captivate audiences with offbeat, dramatic films. TWC also encompasses Dimensions Films, originally under MIRAMAX, and has recently stepped into the world of television production. [2]

Who’s Who: Key Executives

Bob Weinstein: Co-Chairman [3]

[4] Bob Weinstein

[4] Bob Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein: Co-Chairman [5]

[Harvey Weinstein]

[6] Harvey Weinstein

Dylan Sellers: President of Production

Dylan Sellers

[7] Dylan Sellers

In September it was announced that Dylan Sellers is stepping down as President of Production after three years at TWC to pursue his producing career. Sellers is responsible for such titles as award winning August: Osage County and the recent release, St. Vincent.[8]

 Stephen Bruno: President of Marketing

Stephen Bruno

[9] Stephen Bruno

Stephen Bruno has served as President of Marketing for TWC for the past three years. He has recently been offered a position by Netflix to head their marketing department. After 7 years with TWC, his contract is up at the end of the year.[10]

New Releases [11]/ Box Office Results

The Weinstein Company released 14 films to date in 2014. In the US market these films have brought in $132,955,985 so far[12], making TWC the 8th highest grossing studio with 2% market share.  TWC was ranked eighth in 2013, but they are down 2.5% market share from 2013[13]. Though the summer was a flop for films such as Begin Again[14] with Adam Levine, The Giver[15], and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For[16], TWC has five promising new titles in theaters this fall that could raise revenues and bring in awards for the studio. These titles include, The Disapearance of Eleanor Rigby, St. Vincent, Tracks, The Imitation Game and One Chance.

St. Vincent [17] 

St. Vincent Movie Poster

[18] Staring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, and Chris O’Dowd, St. Vincent is the story of an unlikely friendship between two neighbors as they both struggle to find their way in the world.

The quirky comedy has already received Oscar buzz and high praise upon its debut at the Toronto Film Festival. It was released limitedly on October 10th in 4 theaters and saw $109, 878 in box office sales.Upon it’s wide release on October 24th, St. Vincent saw $7,746,596 in revenue in 2,282 theaters, ranking #6 in the box office overall that weekend. In its 9th week, St. Vincent has made $40,749,905 domestically, and $41,346,602 worldwide. Just 1.4% of revenue was seen internationally.[19] This may have to do with Netflix’s deal with TWC to release the feature film for streaming on Netflix in France the same day as the US wide release.[20] The week leading into its wide release, Variety reported that St. Vincent lead the week in TV ad sales, spending $5.1 million [21].

[22]

 

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby [23]

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her is the classic tail of two people falling out of love.

[24]The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her shows both sides of the story in this classic tale of two people falling out of love.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them stands completely alone from Him and Her with a fresh perspective on Conor and Eleanor's relationship

[25]The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them stands completely alone from Him and Her with a fresh perspective on Conor and Eleanor’s relationship.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is The Weinstein Company’s attempt to break the traditional templates of production. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby follows the relationship of Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy and consists of three feature length films from three different perspectives; his, her’s, theirs. Each film was created explicitly through editing, yet each film tells a completely different story and can stand on its own as a feature film. Him and Her were released on September 12th as a two part, 200 minute film, and Them was released on September 4th as a 123 minute film[26]. Though Eleanor Rigby has created quite a bit of buzz in the industry, the box office results have been anything but stellar. To date, the total revenue has been $985,007 worldwide. 59.7% of that revenue was seen domestically. Originally only in four theaters, by its 3rd week Eleanor Rigby was in 139 theaters, but is now only available in two.[27]

[28]

 

Tracks [29]

Directed by John Curran, Tracks tells the true story of Robyn Davidson, the woman who journeyed across the Australian Outback.

[30]Tracks tells the true story of Robyn Davidson, the woman who journeyed across the Australian Outback.

The Weinstein Company acquired the rights to Tracks, directed by John Curran after its premier in the Venice Film Festival. It premiered in the United States during the Telluride Film Festival and also made a favorable impression at the Toronto Film Festival[31]. Tracks was released in seven theaters on September 19th and grossed $21,544 opening weekend. After ten weeks in theaters, the film has grossed $4,878,242. Notably, only 10.5% of that revenue is from the domestic box office[32].

[33]

 

One Chance[34]

Screen Shot 2014-12-09 at 9.58.21 PM

[35]One Chance is an original biopic about singer Paul Potts

One Chance tells the story of Britain’s Got Talent’s first winner, Paul Potts. It was originally released to stream on Yahoo before debuting in theaters.[36] This was an attempt by TWC to capture more audiences as the landscape of movie viewing is vastly changing. The financials of the TWC/Yahoo deal were not released, but ads were shown throughout the online screening.Theater chains were reportedly unhappy with this deal[37]. When One Chance hit the box office on October 10th, it saw $33,405 in 43 theaters. To date, it has grossed $10,889,830 worldwide, with only 0.8% domestic sales.[38]

[39]

The Imitation Game[40]

Benedict Cumberbach stars in the biopic of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician condemned for his homosexuality.

[41] Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the biopic of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician condemned for his homosexuality.

The Imitation Game is yet another British biopic about Alan Turing, a mathematician responsible for breaking Nazi codes during WWII. The film was produced by two first timers, Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky.[42] There is already much Oscar buzz surrounding this film, and it was listed as one of AFI’s top films of 2014.[43] It was released on November 18th, and has already grossed $18,676,784. However, again only a small portion of those sales were domestic (5.5%).[44]

 

[45]

Shaking Up Distribution Models/ Future of TWC

 “In today’s digital era, technology has developed and changed the landscape of how many people watch movies and TV,” -David Glasser, COO [46]

The Weinstein Company has always been known to push boundaries and play by their own rules. Due to the rapidly changing landscape of the media, TWC has  attempted to capture audiences using unique distribution models. This fall, TWC announced they would be partnering with Netflix to release Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend. The second installment of the Crouching Tiger franchise will simultaneously be released in IMAX theaters and become available to screen at home on Netflix.[47]The industry saw similar shake ups with TWC’s Yahoo release of One Chance and the Netflix release of St. Vincent in France. As platforms continue to develop and media viewing continues to change, we should expect similar distribution disturbances and innovations from The Weinstein Company.

Sources: 

1. The Weinstein Company Logo, Google Image. 12/1/14

2. About TWC, weinsteinco.com. 12/3/14

3. Bob Weinstein IMDB, IMDB. 12/3/14

4.  Bob Weinstein Photo, Google Image. 12/3/14

5. Harvey Weinstein IMDB, IMDB. 12/3/14

6. Harvey Weinstein Photo, Google Image. 12/3/14

7.“Dylan Sellers Exits”, Deadline. 10/12/14

8.“Dylan Sellers Out”, Variety. 10/12/14

9. “Next Gen: 2012”, Hollywood Reporter. 12/4/14

10. “Netflix Courts Weinstein Marketing Head”, Deadline. 12/4/14

11. Now Playing, weinsteinco.com. 12/8/14

12. Weinstein Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

13. Studio Market Share, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

14. Begin Again Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

15. The Giver Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

16. Sin City Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

17. St. Vincent Movie Site, stvincentfilm.com. 12/5/14

18. St. Vincent Movie Poster, weinsteinco.com. 12/5/14

19. St. Vincent Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

20. “Netflix Frane to Debut St. Vincent”, Variety.11/15/14

21.“St. Vincent Tops the Week”, Variety.10/30/14

22. St. Vincent Trailer, Youtube. 12/4/14

23. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Site, eleanorrigby-movie.com.12/4/14

24. Him/Her Movie Poster, Google. 12/4/14

25. Them Movie Poster, Google. 12/5/14

26. “Review: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy Shine”, Forbes. 11/20/14

27. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

28. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Trailer, Youtube. 12/4/14

29. Tracks Movie Site, tracks-movie.com. 12/4/14

30. Tracks Movie Poster, Google.12/4/14

31. “The Weinstein Co Acquiring Tracks”, Deadline.11/15/14

32. Tracks Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

33. Tracks Trailer, Youtube. 12/4/14

34. One Chance Site, onechancemovie.net. 12/3/14

35.One Chance Movie Poster, onechancemovie.net. 12/3/14

36. “One Chance Free Streaming to Hit Yahoo,” Variety. 11/15/14

37. “Weinstein Co. Extends Free Yahoo Streaming,” Variety.11/15/14

38. One Chance Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

39. One Chance Trailer, Youtube. 12/6/14

40. The Imitation Game Site, theimitationgamemovie.com. 12/6/14

41. The Imitation Game Poster, Google. 12/6/14

42. “First Time Producers”, hereandnow.wbur.org. 12/8/14

43. “AFI List of 2014’s Best”, Huffington Post. 12/9/14

44. The Imitation Game Box Office Receipts, boxofficemojo.com. 12/8/14

45. The Imitation Game Trailer, Youtube.12/9/14

46.“One Chance Free Steaming”, Variety. 12/1/14

47. “The Weinstein Company Annoys”, Indie Wire. 11/15/14

Weinstein Company

Posted on by 
By Roxy Silver
[1] The Weinstein Company Logo

[1] The Weinstein Company Logo

HISTORY

Brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein founded Miramax Films in 1979 and sold it to Disney in 1993. In 2005, they launched The Weinstein Company, TWC, a multimedia and distribution company that encompasses Dimension Films, a genre-label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein [2]. TWC and Dimension Films have released mainstream genre and specialty films [3]. Recently the company has made a huge push in its television division.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Harvey

[4] Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman TWC

[5] Bob Weinstein, Co-Chairman TWC & Dimension Films

[5] Bob Weinstein, Co-Chairman TWC & Dimension Films

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINANCIALS

TWC is privately held. Box office wise, currently TWC is ranked 9th with 2.5% of the market share, grossing $69.1 million from its 8 films [6]. This marks a decrease from the prior year in which TWC ranked 8th with 4.5% market share, grossing $491.7 million while releasing 21 films [7].

IN THEATERS

[7]

[8] Lee Daniels’ The Butler captures the story of a White House butler who served seven presidents through dramatic and changing times in American history.

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

The drama starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey “was expected to do well, but we didn’t expect to do this well,” shared Erik Lomis, President of Distribution for TWC. “The Butler” is the company’s first No. 1 debut since 2009 [9] with an opening weekend of $24.6 million on August 16, 2013 [10]. The film has accumulated grosses of $116.6 million domestically and grossed $146.5 million internationally [11].

 

 

 

 

 

[12]

[12] Vampire Academy is based on a best selling series about two “mortal vampires” who attend a boarding school and have to protect each other from the terrible forces.

“Vampire Academy”

The highly anticipated fantasy film was a flop for TWC. In attempt to imitate the success of box office hits like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” this young-adult adaption didn’t compliment the best-selling book series as the box office sales attest: It premiered in theaters on February 7, 2014, reeling in $3.9 million during its opening weekend [13]. The film has accumulated grosses of $7.79 million domestically and $7.6 million foreign, totaling $15.3 million worldwide [14].

 

 

 

 

 AWARDS SEASON

TWC had an extremely successful year leading up to The Academy Awards, but fell short with only 11 nominations compared to the 17 from the year before [15]. Regardless, the three films nominated received wide recognition.

[21]

[16] 20 Feet From Stardom

“20 Feet From Stardom”

“Millions know their voices, but no one knows their names”- “20 Feet From Stardom” is a documentary that told the story of Darlene Love who backed up idols, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Elvis Presley. The film shared her story of struggle of being feet away from the spotlight, but never making it [17]. This film was TWC’s only Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature [18].

 

 

 

[24]

[19] Philomena

“Philomena” 

Philomena captures the story of a mother searching for her son but instead finding his gay lover. The drama was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, but didn’t win any awards at the Oscars [20]. With an opening weekend of $128,435, to date the film combines $37.5 million domestic with $62.4 million foreign, netting TWC $87.9 million [21].

 

 

 

[25]

[22] August: Osage County

“August: Osage County”

The dark comedy based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play portrays a dysfunctional family coming together after a death. Starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, it was nominated for two Oscars[23]. The film had a limited opening weekend of $179,302 in December 2013 and a wide opening of $7.1 million [24]. The film has accumulated $37.7 million domestically and $34.7 million foreign, netting TWC $52.4 million [24].

 

 

 

STRATEGICALLY TWC TAKES ON TV 

A $370 million line of credit from Union Bank helped TWC enter the television market in 2013 [25]. TWC’s COO David Glasser explained, “We’ve invested a lot in TV because we see it as a big part of our future.”[26] Now in 2014 the future is here. Having TV under TWC’s belt is an asset creating versatile operations, revenue, and a presence in the TV industry.

Source: Add Letters

TWC acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the Sky Italia drama series, ‘Gomorra’ from Beta Film, an international distributor [27]. Stefano Sollima directed this series based on a bestselling novel about the Neapolitan crime administration Camorra, and is set for release in 2015 [28]. Harvey Weinstein shares “This project caught our eye a while back for its world-class acting talent, as well as Sollima’s abilities to craft a thriller like none other.” [29] This acquisition benefits TWC with new innovative programming, and Beta Film providing ‘Gomorra’ access into American homes.

Source: Add Letters

With the buzz generated from “Netflix Original Series,” TWC is jumping in. The highly anticipated Weinstein Company drama ,“Marco Polo”, is in production for Netflix and will premiere nearing the end of 2014 [30]. Harvey Weinstein reported, “We are proud to present a series that rivals some of the most successful films we’ve ever made. We are excited to introduce him (Marco Polo) to the world.” [31]

Source: Add Letters

TWC‘s recent partnership with media company Gannett gives TWC an advantage with exclusive access to use Gannett’s expansive media library and retain distribution rights from Gannett’s television stations, newspapers, and digital assets [32]. Weinstein’s President of Television Maryam Banikarim, told Street Insider, “This groundbreaking venture will allow us to discover and explore rich new narratives for a wide array of audiences.” [33]

COMING SOON TO THEATERS NEAR YOU

TWC is continuing their Oscar worthy slate of films this summer, staying true to their demographics and genres of past films. These soon-to-be hit films with A-list names will hopefully yield them success at the 2015 Oscar’s and in the box office.

“The Giver”

The Giver Trailer [34]

“The Giver”, a science-fiction film, directed by Phillip Noyce stars Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Katie Holms, Jeff Bridges, and singer Taylor Swift [35]. The film, which various companies attempted to produce previously, is loosely based on the classic 1993 Lois Lowry novel. Jeff Bridges called it “your next favorite movie.” [36] The story, set to release in August, illustrates a utopian society in which a boy is chosen to learn from an elder the true pains and pleasures of the real world [37]. 

“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”

Sin City Trailer [38]

The drama/thriller film directed by Robert Rodriguez [39], is a sequel to the successful 2005 Weinstein film “Sin City” which domestically grossed $74 million [40]. The black and white, 3D-esque thriller will be hitting the screens in August. The star packed cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Alba, and Bruce Wills to name a few [41]. Considering the triumph the original picture had and the megastar cast “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” will likely attract crowds to the box office.

“Begin Again”

Begin Again Trailer [42]

The romantic-comedy film from writer-director John Carney is set to release on July 4th [43]. “Begin Again” follows a distressed ex-recrod label executive, Mark Ruffalo, fall in love with a young singer-songwriter, Kira Knightley, after her boyfriend, Adam Levine, dumped her [44]. At the Tribecca Film Festival Carney explained, “Begin Again is a true New York story about magical opportunities.” [45] This classic summer “romcom” will catch movie goers attention from the star studded cast, to the simple yet entertaining plot.

FUTURE OF TWC

The future for TWC is positive and optimistic. Prior to last year TWC was a dominant player in Oscar awards. Presuming this year was a fluke, TWC should bounce back stronger next Oscar season. Additionally, the significant infusion of cash into its TV segment, will bolster the company’s position in the industry, while likely improving its bottom line.

 Sources

[1] Weinstein Company Logo, Ramascreen.com, RT: 4/12/2014

[2] “About The Weinstein Company”, Weinsteinco.com, RT: 4/11/2014

[3] “Dimension Films”, Disney.Wika.com, RT: 4/11/2014

[4] Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman, Time, RT: 4/10/2014

[5] Bob Weinstein, Co-Chairman TWC & Dimension Films, Zimbo.com, RT:4/10/2014

[6] Studio Market Share 2014, BoxofficeMojo.com, RT: 4/15/2014

[7] Studio Market Share 2013, BoxofficeMojo.com, RT: 4/15/2014

[8] Lee Daniels’ The Butler Movie Poster, IMBD, RT: 4/12/2014

[9] “The Butler’ Serves Up Box-Office Sucess at No. 1”, Fox News, 8/18/2013, RT: 4/12/2014

[10] “Weekend Box Office: ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler Wins Again”, Movie Fone, 8/25/2013, RT: 4/12/201

[11] Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013), BoxofficeMojo.com, RT: 4/13/2014

[12] Vampire Academy Movie Poster, themidnightgarden.com, RT: 4/14/2014

[13] “BOX OFFICE: Vampire Academy’ Has No Bite”, Yahoo Movies, 2/10/2014, RT: 4/14/2014

[14] Vampire Academy (2014), BoxofficeMojo.com, RT: 4/14/2014

[15] OSCARS: Nominations By Studio & Distributor, Deadline Hollywood, RT: 4/12/2014

[16] 20 Feet From Stardom Movie Poster, Filmberg.com, RT: 4/13/2014

[17] “20 Feet From Stardom Synopsis”, 20feetfromstardom.com, RT: 4/12/2014

[18] “Oscars 2014: ’20 Feet From Stardom’ wins for documentary”, Los Angles Times, 3/02/2014, RT: 4/12/2014

[19] Philomena Movie Poster, impawards.com, RT: 4/14/2014

[20] Oscar Nominations By Picture, Deadline Hollywood, RT: 4/14/2014

[21] Philomena (2013), Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 4/14/2014

[22] August: Osage County Movie Poster, broadyway.com, RT: 4/15/2014

[23] “Harvey Weinstein on disappointing Oscar showing for ‘Osage County’ have only myself to blame”, Entertainment Weekly, 2/21/2014, RT: 4/15/2014

[24] August: Osage County (2013), Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 4/15/2014

[25] “The Weinstein Co. Finalizing $370 Million Credit Facility: Report”, Deadline Hollywood, 9/19/2013, RT: 4/16/2014

[26] “The Weinstein Company: stirring drama”, ScreenDaily.com, 4/02/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[27] “TWC Closes Deal for U.S. Rights to Italy’s ‘Gomorrah’ Skein”, Variety, 4/07/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[28] “Weinstein to build Gomorra in US”, c21media.net, 3/08/2014, RT: 4/17/2014

[29] Weinstein Co Acquires Italian Crime Drama Series ‘Gomorra’ , Deadline Hollywood, 4/08/2014, RT: 4/15/2014

[30] Marco Polo (TV Series 2014), IMBD, RT: 4/18/2014

[31] “‘Marco Polo’: Production underway for Weinstein Company’s Netflix Show”, Entertainment Weekly, 4/08/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[32] “Gannett (GCI) and The Weinstein Co. Enter First Look Film And Television Deal”, Streetinsider.com, 4/02/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[33] “Gannnett Co., Ince And The Weinstein Company Enter Into A Unique First Look Film And Television Development Deal”, PR News Wire, 4/02/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[34] The Giver Trailer, YouTube, 3/19/2014, RT: 4/14/2014

[35] “Weinstein Dates ‘The Giver’ Starring Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges for August 2014”, IMBD, 9/21/2013, RT: 4/16/2014

[36] “Jeff Bridges Talks About Your Next Favorite Movie”, Moviepilot.com, 2/12/2014,  RT: 4/16/2014

[37] “‘The Giver’ trailer: Meryl Streep! Jeff Bridges! Color?!”, Entertainment Weekly, 3/19/2014, RT: 4/17/2014

[38] “Sin City 2″ Trailer Release”, Weinsteinco.com, 3/17/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[39] Sin City: A Dame To Kill For Trailer, YouTube, 4/06/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[40] Sin City (2005), Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 4/17/2014

[41] “5 Reasons you should be excited for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For”, Metro, 3/07/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[42] Begin Again Trailer, YouTube, 3/28/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[43] “‘Begin Again’ Movie 2014 Official Trailer Released Starring Adam Levine and Keira Knightley”, Hallels.com, 4/01/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[44] “Trailer and Poster for Begin Again Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo”, Movienewz.com, 4/03/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

[45] “Begin Again To Close Tribeca Film Festival”, Triebcaflim.com, 3/20/2014, RT: 4/16/2014

Weinstein Company

Posted on by 
By Mark DiBona

The Weinstein Company Logo

The Weinstein Company (TWC) was founded in October 2005 by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, following their departure from the film studio Miramax, which they had founded 26 years earlier in 1979. Since its founding, the studio has earned a reputation for consistently putting out commercial and critical successes. Their films have had a continuous presence at the Academy Awards, including two consecutive best picture wins for The King’s Speech in 2010 and The Artist in 2011. The studio also owns Dimension Films, a genre studio founded by Bob Weinstein, best known for various horror films as well as the Spy Kids series. [1]

Key Executives

Harvey Weinstein, courtesy of TIME Magazine

Harvey Weinstein co-founded the company with his brother Bob Weinstein and has served as its co-chairman since. Weinstein also produces many of his studio films, which has led to him personally winning a best picture Oscar in 1998 for producing Shakespeare in Love during his tenure with Miramax. [2]

Bob Weinstein, courtesy of The Wrap

Bob Weinstein, in addition to co-founding The Weinstein Company and serving as its co-chairman, founded the studio Dimension Films in 1993. Focused on genre films, the studio has released such notable films as the Scream series, the Spy Kids series, and Sin City. [3]

Financials

Among the most prominent of the mini-majors, TWC has continually increased its presence since its founding in 2005. In 2012, the studio had a 2.57% market share with a combined film gross of $278, 608, 624 from 21 releases. So far in 2013, they hold a 4.78% market share with a combined $441,224,429 gross thanks to the runaway success of The Butler as well as holdovers from late releases of the previous year such as Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook, which also allowed them to end the first quarter of 2013 second in marketshare. [4], [5]

Awards

The Weinstein Company has earned a reputation as a perennial major player at the Academy Awards. Between Miramax and TWC there are 303 Oscar nominations and 75 wins. TWC alone has earned 7 best picture nominations and 2 wins since its founding. Much of this success is attributed to the Weinstein brothers, and Harvey in particular is known for his aggressive marketing techniques. For Silver Linings Playbook, which earned 8 nominations and 1 win, the cast appeared on various talk shows and discussed their personal connections to the film, such as this appearance on Katie where the director, David O. Russell, and stars Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper talk about their experiences with bipolar disorder, which is central to the film. . [1]

The Butler

Courtesy of imdb.com

Released on August 16th 2013, Lee Daniels’ The Butler details the story of an African-American man who serves as White House butler for 34 years and is inspired by a true story. It stars Forest Whitaker in the title role and Oprah Winfrey as his wife as well as featuring numerous cameos from actors like Robin Williams and John Cusack. It became a box office hit, earning $115,474,000 domestically and $31,192,066 in the foreign market against a $30 million budget and managed to hold the #1 spot for 3 of its first 4 weeks. [6]

The film is already being touted as a contender for the Academy Awards, with a possible Best Picture nomination. [7]

However, the film gained some notoriety when Harvey Weinstein publically attempted to fight the MPAA board’s decision that the film be renamed due to a 1916 Warner Brothers’ film called The Butler. This ultimately led to the film adding director Lee Daniels’ name into the title. [8]

Fruitvale Station

Courtesy of imdb.com

A smaller scale film, Fruitvale Station is a dramatization of the last day in the life of Oscar Grant III who was tragically shot on January 1st 2013 by a cop. Starring Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer, the film earned a respectable $16 million at the box office against a minuscule budget but earned critical acclaim, holding a 94% on Rottentomatoes. The Film also received large support and praise from celebrities including LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, and drummer for The Roots, Questlove. [9], [10]

August: Osage County

Courtesy of imdb.com

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, August: Osage County is set for December 25th Release Date. Dealing with a large family who reunite in the Oklahoma house they grew up in following a crisis, the film features a large ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ewan McGregor. [11]

Originally considered to be a potential huge contender at the Oscars and frontrunner for Best Picture, mixed reactions from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival have somewhat subdued these predictions. However, the film is still expected to earn at least a few nominations and also gather a large box office draw against its $25 million budget due to the presence of its stars. [12], [13]

The Future of the Weinstein Company

Courtesy of USA Today

On August 20th, TWC announced a groundbreaking multi-year deal with Netflix. The deal will make Netflix the sole subscription service for first-run films from TWC starting in 2016. The Weinstein Company already enjoyed a healthy relationship with the streaming service, using it as a pay TV home for their documentaries and various films including 2011 best picture winner, The Artist, but this deal has been described by Harvey Weinstein as “the biggest deal in the history of The Weinstein Company.” [14]

One of the most anticipated film projects beyond 2013 is Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, the long-delayed sequel to the 2005 film Sin City. As the first film earned over $158 million against a $40 million budget, the sequel is expected to do well and has been given a summer release date. It will feature a large cast of stars including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis, and Jessica Alba. [15], [16]

Other 2014 releases include Tim Burton’s Big Eyes starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams and The Giver based on the beloved young adult novel. [17]

Looking ahead, The Weinstein Company is shaping up to continue to increase its market presence and climb to the top of the mini-major studios. Through continuous presentation of quality films with savvy marketing and its expansion into new fields, TWC should continue to experience success in the near future.

Sources

1. About the Weinstein Company
2. About Harvey Weinstein
3. About Bob Weinstein
4. The Numbers
5. Weinstein Co. Beats Most Majors in First Quarter
6. Boxofficemojo
7. Gold Derby Best Picture Predictions
8. “The Butler” Title Fight
9.Boxofficemojo, “Fruitvale Station”
10. The Official Fruitvale Station Tumblr
11. August: Osage County
12.August: Osage County early reviews, a mixed bag at TIFF
13. The Guardian
14. The Weinstein Co. Agrees to Exclusive Streaming Deal With Netflix
15. Boxofficemojo, “Sin City”
16. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
17. Rope of Silicon

Weinstein Company

Posted on by

 

by [Annie Segal]

“The Weinstein Company” image courtesy of Google Images

The Weinstein Company is a privately owned film company headquartered in New York City and is active in film and television production.

Connect:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/weinsteinco

Twitter: http://twitter.com/WeinsteinFilms

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWeinsteinCompany

Website: http://weinsteinco.com/

A Brief History:

Bob and Harvey Weinstein founded The Weinstein Company in October 2005 and still run the company today.

Bob and Harvey Weinstein photo courtesy of Google images

They had previously founded Miramax Film Corp. in 1979 which was associated with Disney. Bob Weinstein also founded Dimension Films in 1993 which has produced such films as Spy Kids, Scream, and Scary Movie. These companies have joined together to release films that have been critical and commercial successes. TWC’s film The King’s Speech took home the 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture. The Artist won Best Picture and Undefeated won Best Documentary Film at the 2012 Academy Awards along with six others for TWC. They also own

For The Weinstein Company’s full description click here [1]

Top Competitors: 

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc.

Miramax Film Corp.

Sony Pictures Classics [3]

Finances:

TWC has 1.6% of the market share and is the 9th highest studio. Between January 1, 2012 and December 2, 2012 it has grossed over $162.9 million and has released 17 films. They were the 8th highest studio in 2011 with 2.9% of the market share and an annual gross of $296.1 million. TWC is a privately owned, limited liability company. It does not publicly release its annual net revenue and is not publicly traded. [2]

Movies Today:

The Weinstein Company has over 100 movie titles. Its top grossing movie of all time was The King’s Speech which grossed $135,453,143 in 2011 with Inglorious Basterds grossing $120,540,719 in 2010. TWC took home 8 Academy Awards in 2012. The Artist and Undefeated are currently sold on Blu-Ray and DVD. Their most successful film of the 2012 box office was Lawless which grossed $37,400,127. [4]

TWC currently has many new releases. Silver Linings Playbook is its current big release starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. It was directed by David O. Russell. The film is set in Philadelphia as Cooper’s character is released from a mental hospital. He quickly meets Lawrence’s character who is a young, crazy widow. They develop a relationship while training for a dance competition. [5]

Killing Them Softly is also one of their big releases. It is starring Brad Pitt. Pitt plays an enforcer hired to track down three guys who try to rob a mob protected card game. It has already grossed $8,575,010 since its November 30th release after being pushed back from its October release to be an Oscar contender.

[6]

Neither film topped the box office due to MGM‘s release of the James Bond movie Skyfall and Summit Entertainment‘s Breaking Dawn Part 2. Both grossed over $200 million.

Movies to be released:

Django Unchained is TWC’s next big release by Quentin Tarantino. It is set in 19th century America when slavery was still legal. A slave (Jamie Foxx) and a German bounty hunter (Chistroph Waltz) team up to find and rescue Foxx’s character’s wife whom Leonardo DiCaprio‘s character has captured. The film is set two years before the Civil War takes place in the American south. Django (Foxx) and Schultz (Waltz) must rescue Django’s wife from the Candyland Plantation. There is a lot of controversy around the film as it sheds light on slavery and the darkness of the Civil War era. [8]

Tarantino on the film’s controversy:

“When slave narratives are done on film, they tend to be historical with a capital H, with an arms-length quality to them. I wanted to break that history-under-glass aspect, I wanted to throw a rock through that glass and shatter it for all times, and take you into it.” [7]

The studio is also looking forward to the release of Quartet starring Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon and directed by Dustin Hoffman. Smith plays a diva who interrupts the lives of retired opera singers at a retirement home. The release date for the film is January 11th. [9]

The Los Angeles Times Review:

“Quartet” is very much a performance piece, which plays to Hoffman’s strength – as an actor he knows when to allow this excellent ensemble breathing room and when to tighten the belt.” [12]

Oscar Buzz 2013:

Silver Linings Playbook premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to flying colors. It could have multiple Oscar nods including Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Jennifer Lawrence snagged most of the buzz for Best Supporting Actress. Winning at age 22 could make her the youngest woman to win Best Actress. Robert De Niro could also get his first Oscar in over 20 years.

Killing Them Softly could also be an Oscar contender. Harvey Weinstein originally pushed the release date from October 19, 2012 to November so it would be good competition come Oscar season.

The Master, a period drama, has already generated many awards for best film and best actors/actresses. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as a naval veteran unsure of his future. [11]

“The Master” photo courtesy of google images

TWC has acquired the The Butler. “”The Butler” focuses on Eugene Allen (played by Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker), a service worker at the White House through eight administrations. Oprah Winfrey plays Allen’s wife, while actors John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Robin Williams and James Marsden portray, respectively, former U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.” [10]. Although filming has not yet been finished, there is much Oscar buzz around this story.

Weinstein on director Lee Daniels:

“Lee tells stories in a way no one else does. What struck me most about this story is the perspective it comes from, which in this case is the butler- a man who was a fly on the wall for decades in the world’s most powerful home. It takes an unbelievable cast like the one that’s in place to do this story justice, and we are proud to be given the chance to share this story with the world.” [13]

TWC in 2012:

December 4, 2012: Weinstein Co. To Produce Short Films Series With Lexus.

November 6, 2012: ‘Any Day Now’ and ‘Quartet’ share Audience Choice Award

October 18, 2012: A Wonderful ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ to open Philadelphia Film Festival

July 27, 2012: Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Master’ moved to Sept. 14 and ‘Killing Them Softly’ to Oct. 19. 

May 7, 2012: Weinstein Co. picks up rights to Dustin Hoffman’s ‘Quartet’.

April 6, 2012: PG-13 Rating Granted for ‘BULLY’ by MPAA without crucial cutting scene. 

January, 2012: ‘The Reader’ Author Bernard Schlink sues Weinstein Co. Over Movie Profits.

January 11, 2012: ‘The Artist’ takes top honors at Globes.

 

Sources:

[1] The Weinstein Company http://weinsteinco.com/ 

[2] Box Office Mojo http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view=company&view2=yearly&yr=2012&p=.htm

[3] Yahoo Business http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/148/148445.html

[4] Box Office Mojo http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view2=release&view=company&studio=weinsteincompany.htm

[5] Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5_FhLaaQQ

[6] Indiewire.com http://www.indiewire.com/static/dims4/INDIEWIRE/d47855e/4102462740/thumbnail/680×478/http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/ac/5d1410ed6011e1baf122000a1d0930/file/KILLING-THEM-SOFTLY-POSTER-header.jpg

[7] The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/07/quentin-tarantino-slavery-django-unchained

[8] Fandango http://www.fandango.com/djangounchained_v538627/plotsummary

[9] IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441951/ 

[10] Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/the-butler-the-weinstein-company_n_1910462.html

[11] ScreenInvasion.com http://screeninvasion.com/2012/09/oscar-watching-all-about-the-weinstein-company/#.UMI-92k-uPc

[12] LA Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-quartet-review20121205,0,729016.story 

[13] Deadline.com http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/weinstein-company-acquires-lee-daniels-the-butler/

The Weinstein Company

Posted on by 
by Mary Salmonsen

Company Logo (1)

About

The Weinstein Company is a production and distribution company focused on movie and television production. The Weinstein Company describes itself as producing “mainstream, genre, and specialty films”, and has a sub-imprint, Dimension Films, for self-defined “genre” movies. (2) The company is also partnered with Weinstein Books, a book publisher, Project Runway, a series produced by Weinstein, Chopard, a jeweler, L’Oreal, and Lexus Short Films (see Upcoming), a project between Lexus and The Weinstein Company. (3)

The Weinstein Company is located at 345 Hudson St., New York, NY, 10014. Its contact phone number is (646) 862-3400. (4)

Management 

Bob and Harvey Weinstein (5)

The company’s founders, brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, first founded Miramax, a film production company, in 1979. (2) During this period, some of their greatest successes were Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Chicago. (6) The company was independent until 1993, when it was bought by Disney. Over the course of their professional tenure, the brothers have received 303 Oscar nominations and 75 Academy Awards for their films. (2)

The Weinstein Company’s President of Television is the former Miramax President of Production, Meryl Poster. Current investors in The Weinstein Company include Goldman Sachs, TF1 – a French television company – and WPP Group, an advertising firm. (4)

History

The Weinstein Company itself was founded in October of 2005, when Bob and Harvey Weinstein left Miramax after a falling-out with Disney. (4) The company absorbed Dimension Films, which Bob had founded in 1993. (2) Their first film release was Derailed in November of 2005,which grossed $57 million (7), and their first animated release was Hoodwinked, released in December of 2005, which grossed $51 million on a budget of $8 million. (8)

Michael Moore and Harvey Weinstein (10)

In February 2011, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore sued the Weinstein Company, alleging that the company had re-routed $2.7 million of the profits from his documentary Farenheit 9/11 that had been meant for him, among other accusations of wasteful spending. The case was settled in February 2012, and terms were not disclosed. (11) The Weinstein Company has also been sued over The Reader (see September 2012) and Escape From Planet Earth (see Upcoming).

August 2012

On August 10th, Vivek Shah, a largely unknown actor, was arrested for blackmailing Harvey Weinstein, among four others, and threatening to kill members of his family unless $4 million was wired to him. He is now being held without bail and if convicted could face 20 years in prison. (12)

This aside, the largest event for The Weinstein Company this month was the release of Lawless on August 29th. One week before its release, the Company attempted to drum up publicity for the film by tweeting about a redband trailer, viewable above. (13) The film, directed by John Hillcoat and starring Shia LeBoeuf, Tom Hardy, and Gary Oldman, was, according to a Hollywood Reporter article, “greeted politely [at Cannes] but didn’t capture any prizes.” (14) Its budget was approximately $26 million, and as of November 2012 it grossed $37 million domestically – a modest success. (15)

September 2012

(17)

On September 16, The Master, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, had a limited art-house run, which brought in record-breaking numbers – $729,745 for the weekend, with a per-theater gross of $145,949. At Cannes the film was received as “ambitious and exciting” and some talk was made of the film’s inspiration in the form of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. (16)The film was released nationwide on September 23, with an opening weekend gross of $4.3 million. (17)

In the background of this hype, the Weinstein Company battled – and lost – another lawsuit, this one from Bernard Schlink, author of The Reader, the book on which the 2008 Weinstein film was based.  In the suit, which was filed in January, he claimed that the Weinstein brothers owed him over $1 million in movie profits based on the original film rights contract he had signed with Miramax in 1998. While The Weinstein Company claimed that this deal was never made, Los Angeles Superior court ruled in Schlink’s favor on September 21st. (18)

October 2012

On October 1, 2012, the Weinstein Company released an article about “The New Film By Quentin Tarantino”, which until then had only been previewed and promoted at Cannes. (16) Django Unchained, the “violent story of a slave (Jamie Foxx) on a mission to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from the plantation of the man who owns her (Leonardo diCaprio)”, was heavily inspired by Italian spaghetti westerns. (19) The film will be released on Christmas Day.

Throughout the month, The Weinstein Company continued to promote The Master. New York Times editorial writer A.O. Scott called it “the great polarizing puzzle-film of 2012, in no small part because it unfolds with what seems to be a total disregard for the audience’s expectations.” (20) The film did not quite live up to its art house promise in terms of ticket sales, however – it only grossed $15 million of its $35 million budget. (17) Members of the Church of Scientology also reacted negatively to the film, and made multiple harassing calls to the company, despite claims by lead actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman that “it’s not the L. Ron Hubbard story.” (21)

November 2012

The Company continued to release information about Django Unchained, and on November 13 they revealed on the company Twitter (22) that an official site had been made for the movie.

(23)

The largest release for Weinstein this month was Silver Linings Playbook, starring  Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games fame and Bradley Cooper. The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and the award for Best Feature at the San Pedro International Film Festival. (24) Playbook had a limited 16-screen opening of $443,000 on November 18th, and was widely released on November 23rd. It has grossed $11 million of its $21 million budget thus far. (25)

Riding on the cottails of Playbook is Killing Them Softly, which stars Brad Pitt. The film was widely released in theaters on November 30th, and has grossed $7 million. (26) Released with far less fanfare on November 2nd was This Must Be The Place, starring Sean Penn. The film was only on 15 screens nationwide, and has thus far grossed only $128,000. (27)

Upcoming

The next project in store for The Weinstein Company is its partnership with the Lexus company to make Lexus Short Films (see About). On the front page of the project site, the project is explained: “To highlight the new look and feel of the brand, Lexus approached The Weinstein Company to produce a series of short films that will offer similar levels of inspiration to viewers.” (28) Five directors will come together to make these films, which will be released in early 2013.

(31)

Another large forthcoming event is the Escape From Planet Earth, due out in February of 2013 in the midst of a lawsuit surrounding its production. In March of 2011, Brian Inerfeld and Tony Leech, filmmakers of Hoodwinked and Escape, sued The Weinstein Company for over $54 million over claims that the brothers, Harvey in particular, had botched Escape by canceling and reinstating the project multiple times, ordering 17 script rewrites, and eventually firing Inerfeld and Leech from the project, among other accusations. (29) Desperate to avoid bad publicity at the time when The King’s Speech, a large Weinstein success at this time, was due to receive an Academy Award for Best Picture, the Weinstein brothers attempted to pay Inerfeld and Leech $500,000 to keep quiet until after the Oscars were over. The suit is still in settlement, and the current version of Escape was directed by Cal Brunker and written by Brunker and Bob Barlen. (30)

Footnotes

  1. The Weinstein Company, “Publicity Materials.” http://www.twcpublicity.com
  2. The Weinstein Company, “About Us.” http://weinsteinco.com/about-us/
  3. The Weinstein Company. http://weinsteinco.com
  4. Hoovers, “The Weinstein Company LLC Company Information.” http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.The_Weinstein_Company_LLC.ec1a5102f95ba0bd.html
  5. Michael Buckner/Getty Images
  6. Miramax, “About Us.” http://www.miramax.com/about
  7. IMDB, “Derailed.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398017/
  8. IMDB, “Hoodwinked.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443536/
  9. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-02-03/gossip/27738705_1_miramax-movies-harvey-and-bob-weinstein-ron-tutor
  10. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
  11. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/michael-moore-harvey-weinstein-fahrenheit-911-lawsuit-291581
  12. http://news.yahoo.com/harvey-weinstein-extortion-plot-d-list-actor-allegedly-110610260–abc-news-topstories.html
  13. https://twitter.com/WeinsteinFilms/status/238036273019887616
  14. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/midyear-awards-report-weinstein-analysis-358212
  15. IMDB, “Lawless”, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212450/
  16. http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/cannes-weinstein-preview-django-unchained-master-and-silver-linings-playbook-40911
  17. IMDB, “The Master.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
  18. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-weinstein-co-wont-be-able-to-avoid-the-reader-1-million-lawsuit-2012-9
  19. http://weinsteinco.com/news/quentin-tarantino-tackles-old-dixie-by-way-of-the-old-west-by-way-of-italy/
  20. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/movies/films-dispense-with-storytelling-conventions.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
  21. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/scientologists-criticize-the-master-harass-its-distributor_n_1872109.html
  22. https://twitter.com/WeinsteinFilms/status/268429760135303168
  23. The Weinstein Company, “Films.” http://weinsteinco.com/films/
  24. http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/
  25. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=silverliningsplaybook.htm
  26. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=coganstrade.htm
  27. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thismustbetheplace.htm
  28. http://www.lexus-global.com/lexusshortfilms/
  29. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/weinstein_brothers_papers_hush_money_KUn59DBaNPppP2CZCX9VhK
  30. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/weinstein-co-escape-from-planet-earth-screening-345562
  31. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765446/