Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' to be released
Miramax Films says it has reached a deal with its owners, Walt Disney, allowing it to find a new distributor for director Michael Moore's controversial new documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, which Disney refused to distribute.
"We are very happy that Disney has agreed to sell Fahrenheit 911 to Bob and Harvey," Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said in a statement, referring to Miramax co-chiefs Harvey and Bob Weinstein.
Under the agreement, the Weinstein brothers would acquire the rights to the film that chronicles America's response to the September 11 attacks and looks at links between the family of US President George W Bush and prominent Saudis, including the family of Osama bin Laden.
Mr Hiltzik said the Weinsteins are providing a "term sheet" to Disney based on a similar deal for a previous, controversial Miramax film Dogma, and that the brothers "look forward to promptly completing this transaction".
The Weinsteins would then be free to find a new distributor to release the documentary into theatres, possibly as soon as July.
Disney, Miramax's corporate parent, had previously refused to distribute the movie that Miramax had funded.
Disney's decision, which it said it had made as long as one year ago, spurred headlines last week when Moore, the film-maker behind 2002's Oscar-winning Bowling for Columbine, went public with it.
-- Reuters/VNU
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The Weinsteins and Moore are going to make millions and millions. This only not only brilliant promotion, but to snatch this property right out from under the nose of Eisner is biggest coup since H.L.Hunt snatched spindletop from "Dad" Joiner.
TP |
