Thompson on Hollywood

Harvey Weinstein Previews Awards Slate at Cannes

Festivals

Harvey Weinstein took advantage of Cannes' many attendees to gather some of them together in order to tease TWC's upcoming films and get a head start on the next round of Awards season. That has been the modus operandi of The Weinstein in recent years, which had held more intimate affairs at swanky flats off the Croisette and today opted for a make-shift screening room.

By Brian Brooks
|
May 17, 2013 5:02 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Weinstein Co. Green Lights 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' Sequel with Michelle Yeoh

News

Without Ang Lee or Sony, the Weinstein Company is starting production on a sequel to the Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which earned six Oscar nominations including best picture and grossed $213.5 million worldwide. Its $128 million stateside gross made it the highest grossing foreign-language film in American history. The Weinsteins have done well in the past with such Asian films as "Hero" and "Iron Monkey," which was directed by famed martial arts choreographer and director director Yuen Wo Ping, who will direct a returning Michelle Yeoh and star Donnie Yen (Silent Wolf) in the "Crouching Tiger" sequel.

By Anne Thompson
|
May 16, 2013 4:56 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Weinsteins to Mount Awards Preview in Cannes

Awards

The Weinstein Co, is preparing its assault on the coming award season. Step one: like last year, Harvey Weinstein is planning to preview some material from their upcoming award slate at Cannes. We don't know what they'll show, but here's their updated schedule thus far:

By Anne Thompson
|
May 10, 2013 4:13 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

When Hollywood Met Broadway: Screen Stars Hit the Stage as Stage-to-Screen Musicals (and Vice-Versa) Move Through the Pipeline

Features

Let's face it, movie musicals are usually bad. Don't get me wrong, nobody should love them more than me: I'm a movie nerd and a musical nerd, so a movie musical should be exactly what the doctor ordered. But sometimes the whole ends up a lot less than the sum of its parts. Think pickles plus peanut butter: Just. Don't. Do it. (Or think "Rock of Ages." Exactly.) But every now and again something like "Les Miserables" happens and we remember that movie musicals can be awesome. Sure, they're bombastic and unrealistic. Yes, it's weird that people start singing on the street and orchestral music seeps out of the very air.

By Jacob Combs
|
February 28, 2013 12:35 PM
|
8 Comments

More:

Harvey Weinstein Opens Up at Producers Guild Sundance Breakfast, Mistakes and All: 'I Was Worst CEO'

Interviews

Before Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob accepted their Milestone Award at the January 26 Producers Guild Awards, Harvey sat down at Sundance with PGA chief Mark Gordon for a remarkably candid chat. This year--in the midst of Oscar campaigns for "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Django Unchained," following back-to-back best-picture wins for "The Artist" and "The King's Speech"-- Weinstein came to Sundance with ten staffers to scout movies, and acquire them they did.

By Anne Thompson
|
February 5, 2013 4:24 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

PGA Awards: 'Argo' Wins Big, Plus 'Sugarman,' 'Homeland,' 'Modern Family'; Tributes to Weinsteins, Abrams & Working Title

Awards

"Argo" is on a roll. Ben Affleck's movie won again at the Producers Guild Awards, setting the tone for the weeks leading to the Oscars as one of statistical chances. Without also receiving a Best Director Oscar nomination, four other films have won the PGA's top prize ("Driving Miss Daisy," "Apollo 13," "Moulin Rouge," and "Little Miss Sunshine").

By Sophia Savage
|
January 27, 2013 3:34 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Sundance Dealmaking Heats Up; 'Don Jon's Addiction,' Harvey Lands 'Fruitvale'

Festivals

In the biggest sale of the fest so far, Sundance newbie Relativity Media is closing a deal to acquire U.S. rights for $4 million, according to sources close to the sale. CAA and WME (who rep Gordon-Levitt and packaged the film) brokered the deal. Relativity committed to a wide release. Companies wanting to make a splash at Sundance often overpay, but clearly Relativity was not the only buyer convinced that this portrait of a sex-addicted bartender (JGL) trying to give up porn for his first love (Scarlett Johannson) was commercial. TWC offered an early bid of $2 million, reports Variety; CBS Films and Lionsgate/Roadside were also in the hunt.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 21, 2013 4:04 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Post-Golden Globe Nominations: What Do We Know? Weinsteins Score 15, But Will That Translate at Oscars? Kidman Lands 10th Globe Nom

Awards

Advantage: Leonardo DiCaprio over "Django Unchained" costar Christoph Waltz in the best supporting actor race, even if Waltz gets the German vote. And SAG "Silver Linings" nominee Robert De Niro, who dissed the HFPA last time he accepted an award, has not been invited back. On the other hand, Globe fave Nicole Kidman scored two 2013 nominations, for both "Paperboy" and HBO's "Hemingway and Gellhorn." While she has three Oscar nominations and one win thus far, the HFPA has nominated her eight times.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 13, 2012 2:39 PM
|
2 Comments

More:

Netflix's Landmark Deal with Disney Revolutionizes Way We Think About TV Content

News

Following Netflix's landmark pact with Disney on December 4, a three-year output deal that gives the streaming company exclusive access to the live-action and animated features of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, chief content officer Ted Sarandos states that he's eyeing similar deals with Warner Bros., and possibly Sony and Universal.

By Beth Hanna
|
December 6, 2012 4:18 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Weinsteins Face Challenging Oscar 'Playbook'

Awards

The Weinsteins have long followed the same Oscar playbook: line up a thick stack of Oscar-worthy potential contenders, give them a shot and see what sticks. They're usually pretty sharp about what's going to play with Academy voters. Nobody does it better. But this year things may not be panning out as they had planned. The studios have mounted an arsenal of powerful players for the fourth quarter that have been eating into the indie share of the adult audience.