Weinstein Co. in Trouble, Despite Success of Basterds

Fallen Miramax founders desperate for Hollywood comeback

(NEWSER) - Once Hollywood’s highbrow hitmakers, Bob and Harvey Weinstein are hitless, humbled, and hoping that a movie about Nazi-killers can save them, the New York Times reports. They once raked in Oscars by producing films like Pulp Fiction and The English Patient, but since leaving Miramax to start their own company 4 years ago, they've invested in fashion, social networking, and cable TV. “I got more fascinated by these other businesses and I figured, ‘Making movies, I can do that in my sleep,’” says Harvey. More»

Filmmaker says Harvey and Bob Weinstein kept profits from him

(NEWSER) - Fahrenheit 9/11 cemented Michael Moore’s reputation as a high-profile documentary filmmaker—but he claims he didn’t get enough money for the 2004 movie, and now he’s suing Harvey and Bob Weinstein over it. In the suit, Moore seeks at least $2.7 million and accuses the Weinsteins of using “financial deception” and “bogus accounting methods” to divert money that should have gone to Moore (who, in an unusually generous deal, was to receive 50% of the profits). More»

Tarantino's flick has the best shot at top Oscar

(NEWSER) - Though everyone is buzzing about Avatar’s best-picture prospects, Tom O'Neil was an early predictor of Inglourious Basterds snagging the top Oscar prize—and now he’s defending his position. Even though it came out eons ago (in August), the disappointing performance of many much-hyped late-year films leaves Basterds in a position to make a “late-year dash” a la Gladiator or Braveheart, he writes in the Los Angeles Times . More»

(NEWSER) - Harvey Weinstein can breathe a sigh of relief. Inglourious Basterds mowed down the competition at the box office yesterday with an estimated haul of $14.3 million, reports Variety. That makes it Tarantino’s best opening ever, and the second-highest R-rated opener August has ever seen—behind American Pie 2 ($16.5 million) and just ahead of last week’s District 9 ($14.2 million). The struggling Weinstein Co. will hope for a repeat next weekend with the opening of Rob Zombie's Halloween II. More»

Drop-off in foreign rights sales leaves producers looking for cash

(NEWSER) - Independent film producers are losing a once-reliable source of funding, the sale of foreign-distribution rights. Traditionally, the demand for American movies has been so high that producers can sell the rights to distribute the film—in many cases, even before it’s finished—in order to cover costs. But the credit crunch, rampant piracy, and burgeoning local production are conspiring to make distribution rights a tougher sell, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»