Miramax, Weinsteins Partner for Sequels

SANTA MONICA: Miramax, which was recently sold by Disney to a consortium of investors, is partnering with its founders, the Weinstein brothers, to create sequels of some of its best-known properties, as well as TV shows and home-entertainment projects.

The alliance with The Weinstein Company (TWC) kicks off with sequels to Bad Santa, Rounders and Shakespeare in Love. Other potential sequels and TV projects include Bridget Jones’s Diary, Copland, From Dusk Till Dawn, Swingers, Clerks, Shall We Dance and The Amityville Horror. This partnership expands upon an existing relationship between the companies on such franchises as Scream 4 (to be released April 15, 2011), Spy Kids 4 (to be released August 19, 2011) and Scary Movie 5. Miramax and TWC have also agreed to develop new, special edition materials for Blu-ray releases.

“We are very close to these films and the new management of Miramax also feels that we are in the best position to create sequels that are at once worthy and compelling in their own right,” stated Harvey and Bob Weinstein in a joint statement. “We look forward to working with Mike and his team on getting these films into production as soon as possible, and extending our partnership in the years ahead.”

Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax—now owned by Filmyard Holdings—added, “We are thrilled and honored to work with Harvey and Bob Weinstein. There is no better partner to build on these great films and turn them into franchises, while also creating exciting new TV properties. This agreement will extend the Miramax library while also enabling us to create new content without committing near-term capital.”