Harvey weinstein

Harvey Weinstein had a mixed day in court Wednesday as he speeds toward the scheduled October start of his serial rape trial in Los Angeles. Lawyers for the disgraced movie mogul scored a victory when Judge Lisa B. Lench sided with the defense and rejected one of the five “prior bad acts” accusers whom prosecutors planned to call to the witness stand to show Weinstein’s alleged “propensity” for criminal behavior. The victory was tempered, however, by a related ruling in which Judge Lench denied Weinstein’s request for a special pre-trial hearing where he could cross-examine the extra witnesses before they’re called before a jury. Defense lawyers Mark Werksman and Alan Jackson sought the pre-trial hearing with the argument that the court should pre-screen the extra accusers — whose allegations did not lead to criminal charges — to test their credibility before they’re introduced at such a high-profile trial. “These witnesses are not just any old witnesses. They’re purported … [Read more...] about Harvey Weinstein Gets Proposed ‘Prior Bad Acts’ Accuser Bumped From Serial Rape Trial

EXCLUSIVE: The Toronto Film Festival doesn’t start for a couple of days, but already I hear there are some surprises in store. Sources tell me that The Weinstein Company is finalizing plans to launch a new video-on-demand division. I’ve heard that Harvey Weinstein is finishing a deal to bring aboard Tom Quinn and Jason Janego , both of whom were integral in building the VOD business of Magnolia Pictures. How this factors into the way that TWC does business at Toronto will be very interesting. From last Toronto to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival in May, TWC has been the most prolific distributor acquiring films. While TWC got in the game very early on last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner The King’s Speech , much of TWC’s upcoming awards-season slate — from The Artist to The Iron Lady , The Wettest County in the World and W.E. — were all festival acquisitions. Those films were bought for competitive acquisition prices with P&A … [Read more...] about Toronto Film Festival Surprise: Harvey Weinstein To Start VOD Division

In September 2002, Kaja Sokola was a 16-year-old model newly arrived in Manhattan from her native Poland. While attending an event whose guest list was curated by her agency — NEXT Model Management, one of the biggest and most successful modeling firms in the world — the 5’11” teen with a dream of becoming an actress met movie producer Harvey Weinstein . He was 50 years old at the time and at the height of his power and influence. She was living apart from her parents for the first time. “People at the event said, ‘This is the king of Hollywood, and he can make everything happen,’” Sokola recalls. “He said, ‘If you want to be an actress, I can see you have potential and I would like to meet with you for lunch and discuss it.’ Of course, I’ve heard, ‘Do not go out for dinners. People can put all sorts of drugs in your drinks.’ But a lunch seemed safe.” As she laid out in a 2019 lawsuit, Sokola tells Rolling Stone she gave her phone number to the Miramax mogul behind … [Read more...] about Harvey Weinstein’s Youngest Accuser Speaks Out

Bert Fields , the relentlessly loyal powerhouse entertainment lawyer who repped clients including Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Tom Cruise , George Lucas , the Beatles, Michael Jackson and many others in myriad headline-making cases in Hollywood, has died, TMZ reports . He was 93. A partner at Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, Fields tried many of the landmark cases in the entertainment and communications industries during the past several decades. He represented most major Hollywood studios and talent agencies during his singular career and such other bold-faced names as Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Nichols, Jerry Bruckheimer, Joel Silver, Madonna and writers Mario Puzo, James Clavell, Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler. Harvey Weinstein , told The New York Times in 2005, ”In the entertainment business, walking into litigation without Bert Fields is like walking into the Arctic without a … [Read more...] about Bert Fields Dies: Powerhouse Showbiz Lawyer For Tom Cruise, Weinsteins, George Lucas, Michael Jackson, Beatles & Many Others Was 93

The New York Film Festival on Tuesday revealed its Spotlight section lineup, which includes the world premiere of She Said , Universal’s drama based on the work of New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey who investigated and wrote the bombshell 2017 Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse story. Maria Schrader directed the pic starring Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan that features a cast including Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle. Adapted from the reporters’ book by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, the film hits theaters November 18. Other Spotlight world premieres set for NYFF, which runs September 30-October 16, includes Till , Chinonye Chukwu’s story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the Chicago woman whose son, Emmett, was lynched while visiting cousins in Mississippi in 1955. Also, a pair of documentaries: A Cooler Climate , James Ivory and Giles Gardner’s film that uncovers boxes of film Ivory shot during a trip to Afghanistan in 1960; and Personality … [Read more...] about Harvey Weinstein-NYT Movie ‘She Said’ To World Premiere At New York Film Festival

EXCLUSIVE: It might not be too much of a stretch to say that Bert Fields has played a role in almost every great Hollywood legal battle of the last 30 years. The Cardinal Richelieu of Tinseltown attorneys, Fields counts among his accomplishments successfully taking on Disney and Michael Eisner to the tune of a $250 million payout for Jeffrey Katzenberg back in the late 1990s. He repped Star Wars creator George Lucas in negotiations with the House of Mouse as well. The Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger partner has also represented Tom Cruise, the Weinsteins, James Cameron , Warren Beatty against Paramount over Reds , the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Godfather author Mario Puzo and his estate and other heavyweights, including studios like Universal. Snared for a time in the FBI’s spotlight over his hiring of Anthony Pellicano , Fields eventually emerged unscathed from the scandal —  a fate not shared by many who employed the still-imprisoned P.I. … [Read more...] about Bert Fields Talks Disney Ban, George Lucas, James Cameron, Harvey Weinstein, Napoleon & The Next Big Thing

Related: The Weinstein Co’s ‘Philomena’ Vs. MPAA 2: Judi Dench’s M Enlists Steve Coogan: Video Looks like a direct appeal from a Bonded up Dame Judi Dench and her Philomena co-star, writer, and producer Steve Coogan can cut a bit of rating cloth with the MPAA . The Weinstein Company today won its appeal to have the initial R-rating the awards-season hopeful received changed. Philomena will now have a PG-13 rating. The Stephen Frears-directed film fell into the R-zone because it has two uses of the F word in it. The MPAA traditionally only allows one in a PG-13 pic . But, in no part likely also to Weinstein lawyer Bert Fields’ work on the appeal, they obviously changed their mind today. “ We owe this victory to Barbara Broccoli, producer of the James Bond series, Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes who because of their relationship with Judi Dench gave permission to spoof the ratings system using the M character.  We know that went a long way into shedding light on … [Read more...] about Weinstein Co Wins MPAA ‘Philomena’ Ratings Appeal

The Weinstein Company has confirmed Deadline’s scoop about it forming a VOD venture and naming Tom Quinn and Jason Janego to run it. The deal will certainly focus attention on the emergence of VOD as a lifeline to movies that either don’t have the commercial premise or the starpower for a wide theatrical release. Here’s the announcement from TWC: New York (September 6, 2011) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that Tom Quinn and Jason Janego have joined forces with TWC Co-Chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein to create a new TWC label to bring new films and other specialty entertainment to audiences simultaneously across multiple digital and traditional platforms. Quinn and Janego will serve as Co-Presidents of the yet-to-be named label, which will be based in New York. The announcement was made by TWC COO David Glasser . Quinn and Janego were among the first in the film industry to explore the potential of emerging digital platforms and were in the … [Read more...] about TOLDJA! Weinstein Company Announces VOD Label

In a recent ad spot from John Fetterman , the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor running for an open U.S. Senate seat, he attacked his rival, Mehmet Oz, as “not one of us” and part of the wealthy entertainment elite. “Hey, Doc Hollywood, save your money, Pennsylvania is not for sale,” Fetterman said in the spot, as video ran of Oz, the longtime syndicated daytime TV host, kissing his star on the Walk of Fame. It’s certainly not a novel for a campaign to try to tar a rival for for Hollywood ties, but this time it’s a Democrat, Fetterman, trying to tar a Republican, Oz, for his showbiz embrace. It’s a bit of a twist on a common campaign tactic used by the right against their leftward opponents, who have for generations enjoyed a dominance in Hollywood fundraising and endorsements. In countering Oz’s name recognition, Fetterman even has tried to weaponize celebrity, as when his campaign enlisted Snooki from Jersey Shore to troll Oz in a Cameo spoof, meant to highlight … [Read more...] about ‘Doc Hollywood’: In A Twist, Democrats Attack A Senate Candidate, Mehmet Oz, For His Showbiz Ties

Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace , which tells the story of the singer’s 1972 gospel album, is subject of more legal issues. The film, which was mired in limbo for 46 years as a result of various legal battles, is now the subject of a suit from producers including Alan Elliott, against distributor Neon and CEO Tom Quinn. The crux of the issue also involves the Hollywood trade press, including Deadline, which covered the news that Neon had acquired the U.S rights to the film in December 2018 . There was one small problem, the producers allege, it hadn’t signed a deal, and in fact, the producers were in talks with other buyers, including Apple, when Neon announced the deal. The suit (read it here ) alleges that Neon “fraudulently induced” the producers to accept a distribution deal by publicly announcing the pact. “In a plan commandeered by Quinn, Neon acquired the coveted domestic distribution rights to the Picture through a series of fraudulent … [Read more...] about ‘Amazing Grace’ Producers Sue Neon, Alleging Distributor “Fraudulently Induced” Deal For Aretha Franklin Doc