The Weinstein Company and its projects face an uncertain future after its co-founder is being accused of rape and sexual assault.
The Weinstein Company and its projects face an uncertain future after its co-founder was accused of rape and sexual assault spanning decades.
Amazon Studios is reportedly reconsidering its two deals with the Weinstein Co., including an untitled David O. Russell series starring Robert De Niro and the $75 million show „The Romanoffs.“
„We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.,“ Craig Berman, Vice President of Communications at Amazon Entertainment, said in a statement to the Daily News Wednesday.
The Weinstein Company (TWC) was expected to finance half of the $160 million David O. Russell series, but has yet to put forth money for either project at this time, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Harvey Weinstein accused in new expose of raping three women
Harvey Weinstein was fired on Sunday, just days after the New York Times published a bombshell report in which several women, including actress Ashley Judd, accused the Hollywood honcho of sexual harassment or assault.
The New Yorker published its own revealing piece Tuesday in which three women accused Weinstein of rape .
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow also recounted to the New York Times on Tuesday an alleged instance where Weinstein sexually harassed her early in her career and star Angelina Jolie admitted she had a „bad experience“ with Weinstein in her youth and chose to never work with him again.
Amazon Studios may be debating the fate of its Weinstein projects, but Apple was quick to scrap a project in the works with the company, just one day after the movie mogul was fired from his role.
Weinstein Company’s future a mystery amid boss‘ sex abuse scandal
The 10-part series was an Elvis biopic with episodes revolving around Michael Jackson, Prince and Frank Sinatra. The project was in such an early stage that a writer and star were yet to be determined.
Paramount already removed Weinstein’s name from press materials and credits for the three upcoming projects that were connected to the Weinstein Co., a spokesperson for Spike TV/Paramount Network confirmed to the Daily News.
The three Paramount projects connected to TWC were, „Yellowstone“ starring Kevin Costner, „Waco“ starring Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch and John Leguizamo and a documentary on Trayvon Martin titled „Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.“
The Weinstein Co. is reportedly planning on removing Harvey’s name from existing and future projects and changing the name of the company, a studio insider told the Associated Press.
Meryl Streep, Judi Dench denounce Harvey Weinstein amid scandal
The company has long been a staple in the Hollywood movie-making business, landing 26 Best Picture Oscar nominations over the past 28 years, with the most recent being „Lion“ earlier this year. Now, a petition has been created to liquidate the board in the wake of the scandal.
Actress Rose McGowan, who Harvey Weinstein reached a $100,000 settlement with in 1997 after an „episode in a hotel room at the Sundance Film Festival,“ launched a petition to dissolve The Weinstein Company’s board after it released a statement on Tuesday declaring they had no idea about the alleged sexual harassment and were „surprised“ by the reports.
„You don’t get to change your company name & be done with it,“ McGowan tweeted . „Every man there has the blood of sorrow on their hands. You are dirty.“
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) suspended Weinstein’s membership, saying the allegations were „incompatible“ with its values.
Harvey Weinstein begged for support from execs before firing
„We hope this announcement sends a clear message that such behaviour has absolutely no place in our industry,“ the statement read .
Also in the wake of the scandal, USC rejected Weinstein’s $5 million donation to fund an endowment for female filmmakers after a student created a petition to reject the money.
The Weinstein Co. is also working on a number of films, but that status of those projects has yet to be addressed. The company announced some high-profile sequels to some of their great films, such as a follow-up to „Shakespeare in Love“ and the third volume of „Kill Bill.“ Other films announced by the production house include „Knight Rider“ and „The Six Billion Dollar Man.“
With News Wire Services
