Weinsteins Do the Write Thing

When it comes to the writers' strike, Harvey and Bob are taking matters into their own hands.

The Weinstein Co., the namesake independent film company formed two years ago by the high-octane siblings after being forced out at Miramax by Disney, has struck an interim deal with the Writers Guild of America enabling it to resume development on several of its movie projects.

"The Guild is proud to move forward with The Weinstein Company and hopes that other studios will follow its example," the WGA said in a statement Friday. "The conglomerates walked away from bargaining and have refused to resume negotiations, but this shows we can sign deals that are fair for writers and the companies that employ them."

While terms were not disclosed, the arrangement is said to be modeled on those the WGA has struck with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants and Tom Cruise's United Artists and will give writers a share of revenue generated through Internet distribution of the company's productions—the key sticking point in the union's battle with Hollywood producers.

Because it's not a signatory of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the Weinstein Co. was able to pursue a side deal with the union.

"We believe this strike must be resolved now, it's that simple," the Weinstein brothers said in a joint statement. “Each day more people are losing their jobs because of this strike and a trickle down effect is impacting the entire industry.  There seems to be no end in sight and this should be a concern to all of us.

“While we understand and respect both sides of this issue, this agreement is a catalyst in bringing both sides back to the table so real conversations can begin. We should not forget that this time of year should be a time of celebration for our industry and it won't be until this strike is resolved.”  

There was no immediate comment from the AMPTP on the Weinstein pact.

After talks with AMPTP shut down for the second time on Dec. 7, the WGA extended an invite to the major TV networks and nonsignatory producers to enter into individual negotiations. The union is hoping separate deals will force the big five studios back to the bargaining table.

But the Alliance appears to be digging in for the long haul.

"One-off deals do nothing to bring the WGA closer to a permanent solution for working writers," the AMPTP said in a statement Monday, shortly after the United Artists deal was finalized.

"These interim agreements are sideshows and mean only that some writers will be employed at the same time other writers will be picketing. In the end, until the people in charge at WGA decide to focus on the main event rather than these sideshows, the economic harm being caused by the strike will continue."

The Weinstein Co. struggled at the box office in 2007, with such films as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse, the John Cusack drama Grace Is Gone and the Scarlett Johansson comedy The Nanny Diaries all underperforming.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Harvey Weinstein initially was planning to wait until another indie company, like Lionsgate, secured an interim deal with the WGA, but changed his mind after seeing the toll the strike was taking on the industry, particularly awards season.

The Weinsteins traditionally use the run-up to the Golden Globes and Oscars to launch a massive promotional blitz for their prestige films. This year, the company is trying to push I'm Not There, Grace Is Gone and The Great Debaters.

The new deal means the Weinstein Co. can employ writers to jump-start a number of high-profile pictures that have been put on hold because of the strike.

At the top of that list is Nine, a big-screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical from Chicago helmer Rob Marshall set to star Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Sophia Loren. The Weinsteins hired Oscar-winning writer-director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) to adapt the tuner, but work was halted because of the walkout.

The interim agreement also enables the Weinsteins to hire screenwriter David Hare for rewrites for another big project—Stephen Daldry's post-World War II romantic drama The Reader. The movie is scheduled to start shooting in Germany in late February or March and will star Kate Winslet, subbing for the pregnant Nicole Kidman.

The brothers are also hoping to get a remake of Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai off the ground, as well as a feature film version of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning apocalyptic tome, The Road.

Meanwhile per the Reporter, George Clooney has approached Harvey Weinstein with an idea to help end the strike—round up other big-name stars like himself to mediate the dispute between so that a more permanent settlement can be reached.

No word on the status of that proposal.

Should the warring parties reach a broader arrangement, it would supersede the interim deals the guild struck with the Weinstein Co. and other indie producers.

As it stands, AMPTP announced it will begin separate, formal contractual talks tomorrow with the Director's Guild of America, which could serve as a template for any future agreement with the Writers Guild.

(Originally published Jan. 11, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. PT)