The Weinstein Company (TWC) has signed a seven-year pay-TV deal with Showtime Networks in a key move for both companies.
Select TWC titles had been going to Showtime through its distribution relationship with MGM, but once it became clear that MGM was reconfiguring its modus operandi and said it would partner with Lionsgate and Paramount Vantage on a pay-TV and VOD platform, TWC started to search out a pay-TV deal of its own.
TWC was initially unable to secure its own pay-TV deal, which led to the MGM relationship in the first place.
The TWC-Showtime arrangement will become effective with TWC's 2009 release slate and is understood to involve close to 100 titles, among them Rob Marshall's upcoming Broadway adaptation Nine and Quentin Tarantino's wartime adventure Inglorious Bastards.
Additional titles include Andrew Jarecki's All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst and the adaptation of Paulo Coelho's bestseller The Alchemist announced in Cannes.
Dimension Films will contribute the likes of Scream 4, a remake of David Cronenberg's Scanners and the comedy Youth In Revolt starring Michael Cera.
'This long-term strategic partnership is a tremendous initiative for our company and provides our films with a critically important pay-TV home for the next seven years,' Harvey Weinstein said.
'Showtime is one of the hottest brands in television and we have tremendous respect for [Showtime chairman and CEO] Matt Blank and his team's passion, dedication and creativity.'
'This exclusive agreement with The Weinstein Company will deliver our subscribers an enormous and diverse slate of films at a price to Showtime that is consistent with today's marketplace,' Blank said.
'Bob's and Harvey's films are known for quality and promotability, making them a perfect fit with the acclaimed and award-winning original series that have generated strong momentum and subscriber growth for Showtime.'
The deal comes at a critical time for TWC which has been plagued by press reports that it is in dire financial straits.
Select TWC titles had been going to Showtime through its distribution relationship with MGM, but once it became clear that MGM was reconfiguring its modus operandi and said it would partner with Lionsgate and Paramount Vantage on a pay-TV and VOD platform, TWC started to search out a pay-TV deal of its own.
TWC was initially unable to secure its own pay-TV deal, which led to the MGM relationship in the first place.
The TWC-Showtime arrangement will become effective with TWC's 2009 release slate and is understood to involve close to 100 titles, among them Rob Marshall's upcoming Broadway adaptation Nine and Quentin Tarantino's wartime adventure Inglorious Bastards.
Additional titles include Andrew Jarecki's All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst and the adaptation of Paulo Coelho's bestseller The Alchemist announced in Cannes.
Dimension Films will contribute the likes of Scream 4, a remake of David Cronenberg's Scanners and the comedy Youth In Revolt starring Michael Cera.
'This long-term strategic partnership is a tremendous initiative for our company and provides our films with a critically important pay-TV home for the next seven years,' Harvey Weinstein said.
'Showtime is one of the hottest brands in television and we have tremendous respect for [Showtime chairman and CEO] Matt Blank and his team's passion, dedication and creativity.'
'This exclusive agreement with The Weinstein Company will deliver our subscribers an enormous and diverse slate of films at a price to Showtime that is consistent with today's marketplace,' Blank said.
'Bob's and Harvey's films are known for quality and promotability, making them a perfect fit with the acclaimed and award-winning original series that have generated strong momentum and subscriber growth for Showtime.'
The deal comes at a critical time for TWC which has been plagued by press reports that it is in dire financial straits.
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