posted on Jun, 3 2004 @ 04:29 PM
Tyriffic
Thank you for your generous advice! Truly, only yesterday, I was thinking of you - I kid you not - and there you appear, ensuring that my hard earned
dollars do not get unwisely invested in "left wing" documentaries. Thanks for the heads up!
I had read the US release date was accelerated - good news - but I had not understood why till this:
03/06/2004 02:54 PM
Bob Tourtellotte
Film director Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 will hit U.S. theatres on June 25 after backers Bob and Harvey Weinstein struck
distribution deals for the controversial, Cannes festival award-winning film, the parties say.
Lions Gate Entertainment and IFC Films, major players in the arena for independent movies, will release Moore's movie to theatres, and cable
television network Showtime will handle the sale of rights for pay-TV.
Fahrenheit 9/11 caused a firestorm of publicity in May after the Walt Disney Co. refused to allow its Miramax Films unit, which is run by the
Weinstein brothers, to release the movie to theatres claiming it was too politically charged.
Fahrenheit 9/11, which won the coveted Palm d'Or, the top prize at last month's prestigious Cannes film festival, looks at America's reaction to
the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon....
.... "I think, for a large segment of the population, it is going to be a must-see film," said Jon Feltheimer, Lions Gate chief executive. "Forget
the controversy, if you look at the body of Michael Moore's work. It's really good filmmaking." .......
...... Last week the Weinsteins cut a deal with Disney to buy back the film rights for the cost of the film, estimated at US$6 million (3.3 million
pounds).
Sources near the early dealmaking said the Weinsteins were seeking agreements under which they retained ownership of the film and the distribution
partners helped fund film prints and marketing then shared in box office receipts.
Both Feltheimer and Sehring declined to comment on the financial details.
The new distribution partners did say that they already had significant interest from theatre chains wanting to show the film and who were not shying
away from the controversy.
Sehring said they had originally wanted to release Fahrenheit 9/11 on July 2 in about 500 theatres, but moved it up on the calendar. He said the
number of theatres showing it had yet to be determined.
I hate to disagree with my friend Tyriffic, but I will be making a small investment in a cinema ticket.