Miramax gone.

[ddlogan]

http://www.cinematical.com/2010/01/2...ning-projects/

http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_17459.html

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62746

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/we...-miramax-back/

[Geoff Alexander]

Originally Posted by nathanq

Fortunately "The Wienstein Company" which is basically Mirimax is still running. And I think Harvey's gonna try and buy back the Mirimax name now.

Who cares? It's not like it's different guys and it's not like a newly reconstituted Miramax under their ownership would be any less dysfunctional than TWC.

[wcmartell]

Originally Posted by nathanq

Fortunately "The Wienstein Company" which is basically Mirimax is still running. And I think Harvey's gonna try and buy back the Mirimax name now.

Wienstein Company is broke and in trouble, too. Article in the trades a while back about how they can't afford all of those For Your Consideration adverts they usually buy for their films.

No surprise that Miramax closed - all of the other big indie distribs have already closed. No audience for those films anymore.

- Bill

[RogerOThornhill]

An estimated $80mm for Nine?? Who was the target market and was that market big enough for $80mm?? I guess Chicago was successful, but having seen the trailer for Nine...I still have no clue what it is about or who it is for.

I haven't seen the Road either...and evidently hardly anyone else did. I don't know where the problem lies...budget, project selection, marketing, distribution??


R.O.T.

[wcmartell]

The problem with all of these indie labels that died is that they began by distributing $25k movies and then kept raising the budgets again and again until they were making studio budget films... with indie film sensibilities. So you have a film that would have done well at a budget of $250k being made at $25m.

The larger problem with indie films is that no one wants to keep making movies at $250k - it's hard work for very little money. Everyone wants a raise. But the audience just isn't big enough to sustain the escalating budgets. A producer I worked with funded a Robert Altman movie with an all star cast, and told me "never again". The film cost a bundle, got great reviews and some Oscar buzz... but by the end of the day was a major money loser for his company and almost sunk him. Had that film been made for $250k or even $2.5m it would have been okay - but it had a long shooting schedule and lots of stars that cost a bunch (ensemble cast) and...

The good thing about all of this is that indie films have gone back to being indie films.

- Bill

[EJ Pennypacker]

Nikki mentioned on her blog about how the Weinsteins are weeks away for announcing a big slew of cash coming their way from backroom talks with various money folks.

EJ

[Madbandit]

Originally Posted by EJ Pennypacker

Nikki mentioned on her blog about how the Weinsteins are weeks away for announcing a big slew of cash coming their way from backroom talks with various money folks.

EJ

Cool. I'm glad Disney closed it because they didn't have a clue how to run it since Harvey and Bob left.

[wcmartell]

Originally Posted by EJ Pennypacker

Weinsteins are weeks away for announcing a big slew of cash coming their way from backroom talks with various money folks.

And I have people reading my new spec.

Would you invest money into the company that made NINE and other films that cost more than they were worth and caused them to need money in the first place?

Money is tight right now - I'll believe the Weinsteins Bailout when I see it.

- Bill