More Titles for Cinema 10? Rainbow Inks Movies Deal With Weinsteins

[Sean Mota]

Source: TVweek.com

Rainbow Inks Movies Deal With Weinsteins

By Jay Sherman
Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings has inked a deal with Bob and Harvey Weinstein, under which Rainbow and the Weinstein brothers will co-own a movie library that will be distributed on television and home video.

Terms of the multiyear agreement were not disclosed, but both parties will split the venture's profits 50/50. The Weinsteins' new company, Weinstein Co., will select the titles, while Rainbow will fund them.

At the same time, Weinstein Co. will serve as the exclusive home-video distributor for Rainbow's IFC Films unit and will act as exclusive sales agent for IFC Films' products overseas. In addition, Rainbow will have first crack at the TV distribution of Weinstein Co. films. Rainbow owns cable networks IFC, AMC and WE: Women's Entertainment.

The new deal comes just a few months after the Weinsteins split from the Walt Disney Co. in a highly public breakup that left the Miramax name and its film library with Disney. The Weinsteins, meanwhile, took with them the Dimension Films label.

 

[Ilya]

This is probably for IFC, but who knows...

 

[Sean Mota]

True but we have seen movies that played on IFC transfer to HD Cinema...

 

[Sean Mota]

More on the same subject....

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LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Now that Bob and Harvey Weinstein have called it quits with Disney, they're ready to move on to setting up business relationships for their tentatively named The Weinstein Company.
The high-powered siblings announced Thursday, May 19 that they have entered into an agreement with Goldman, Sachs & Co. to receive equity investment and a debt financing commitment in preparation for the launch of the multi-media company in October.

"We are thrilled with this important relationship that provides us with the resources to produce and market the exciting slate of films that we have planned," say the Weinsteins in a statement. "We look forward to getting to work."

The company has already acquired the North American distribution rights to "Decameron," "Last Legion" and "Young Hannibal" produced by Dino de Laurentiis, Martha de Laurentiis and Tarak Ben Ammar, whose Quinta put together $185 million in financing for all three films. Ammar is also expected the join the board of directors of The Weinstein Company.

"Tarak Ben Ammar has been a friend for over 15 years," say the Weinsteins. "He's been a great advisor, and is one of the most powerful voices in media in Europe. We are delighted to be in business with him and Quinta."

"Decameron" features "Star Wars" star Hayden Christensen and "The O.C." star Mischa Barton in the adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio's classic tales set in the Italian countryside. "Last Legion" stars Colin Firth as Abrosinus and Ben Kingsley as legionnaire Aurelius who both help a young Caesar make a last stand during the fall of the Roman Empire. "Young Hannibal" is the prequel to the Hannibal Lecter series and focuses on the origins of the younger, more tender man who would become the heartless killer.

Before jaunting out on their own, the Weinsteins will continue to act as co-chairs of Miramax until the end of September.

 

[Sean Mota]

In a little different news....

Source

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have been dedicated troopers in the Weinstein Empire, making the films that helped buoy Miramax and Dimension for the past decade. Now, the two filmmakers are sticking with the Brothers Weinstein for a new collaboration.
Tarantino (Miramax's "Pulp Fiction") and Rodriguez (Dimension's "Spy Kids" franchise), who last worked together on "Sin City" -- where Tarantino guest directed an extended scene -- will each take on a 60-minute segment of a semi-anthology horror film called "Grind House," in tribute to the New York's genre movie houses of decades past. The two short films will air together with trailers and bonus materials in-between in the grindhouse tradition.

"Grind House," set for release sometime in 2006, is just one piece of an ambitious release schedule announced on Wednesday (May 25) by Weinstein Co., the new home of Bob and Harvey Weinstein. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Weinstein Co. has as many as 12 features -- some carry-overs from Miramax and Dimension -- ready to hit theaters by the end of 2006.

Some of the highlights of the Weinstein slate (many co-productions with former corporate parent Disney) include:

Sundance acquisitions "Wolf Creek," an Australian horror film, and "Matador," a hitman black comedy with Pierce Brosnan, will both open on Friday, Nov. 18, 2005.

"Mrs. Henderson Presents," a drama from Oscar nominee Stephen Frears ("The Grifters") and starring Oscar winner Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, will premiere on Dec. 25, 2005 and is considered a prime Oscar hopeful along with the Chen Kaige epic "The Promise" (Dec. 16) and "Transamerica," fearing Felicity Huffman as a transsexual (Dec. 2).

This year's "Project Greenlight" feature "Feast," a horror film from John Gulager, will finally debut on Jan. 20, giving fans of the Bravo series a chance to see if all of the behind-the-scenes drama was actually worth it.

The latest from Oscar-winning writer-director Anthony Minghella is "Breaking & Entering," a drama starring Jude Law. The film only began production recently, but a February release is currently slated.

Hot TV stars Kristen Bell (UPN's "Veronica Mars") and Ian Somerhalder (late of ABC's "Lost") star in a remake of the Japanese horror film "Pulse," aiming for a March 3 debut.

Sequels in the "Scary Movie" and "Sin City" franchises are expected to be ready for April and summer release slots, though neither film has begun production.