Miramax, LLC (also known as Miramax Films) is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was owned by its founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein. In 1993, the company was acquired by the Walt Disney Company and held until 2010. In 2005, the brothers founded the Weinstein Company.
History[]
In 1993, Miramax was purchased for $60 million by the Walt Disney Company. Harvey and Bob Weinstein continued to operate Miramax until they left the company on September 30, 2005. During their tenure, the Weinstein brothers ran Miramax independently of other Disney companies. Disney, however, had the final say on what Miramax could release (Fahrenheit 9/11, Kids, and Dogma are examples). Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division releases Miramax output.
Miramax operated until 2005, where the label Dimension Films began specializing in genre films and created the Spy Kids, Scream, and Scary Movie film franchises.
After extensive negotiations and much media and industry speculation, on March 30, 2005, Disney and the Weinsteins announced that they would not renew their contractual relationship when their existing agreements expired at the end of September 2005. The primary source of dispute was over distribution of Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore. Disney's film studio consortium, Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group assumed control of Miramax, which was projected to have a smaller annual production budget. The Weinsteins started a new film production company called simply The Weinstein Company, and took the Dimension Films label with them. The Miramax name remained with the film studio owned by Disney. Production at Miramax was taken over by Daniel Battsek, who formerly was head of Buena Vista International in the UK. Battsek refocused Miramax to produce films of high quality but low budget. Canadian independent studio Maple Pictures held the rights to distribute Miramax films from 2008 up until August 10, 2011 when Maple Pictures was acquired by Alliance Films.
On October 3, 2009, Disney announced that the staff of Miramax was to be reduced by 70%, and the number of releases would be reduced by half to just three films per year. The label's marketing, distribution and administrative functions, which had operated independently, would be folded into the parent studio in Burbank. The move became effective in January 2010. On October 30, 2009, Disney announced the resignation of Daniel Battsek as President of Miramax Films, effective when the transition from the studio in New York City to Burbank was completed.The company merged its operations with Walt Disney Studios on January 28, 2010, shutting down Miramax's separate New York and Los Angeles offices.
Though Disney Studio Chairman Dick Cook was a staunch supporter of Miramax, the brand was less of a priority for Bob Iger, whose strategy was to focus on Disney's branded mass entertainment that can be exploited across Disney's theme parks, television and consumer products. Following Disney's $4-billion acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2010, and Cook was succeeded by Rich Ross. As a result, Miramax was relegated to the status of distribution label. The company confirmed that it was looking into the selling the Miramax label on February 9, 2010, with Bob Iger explaining, "We determined that continuing to invest in new Miramax movies wasn't necessarily a core strategy of ours".
On November 23, 2010, it was reported that Google was interested in purchasing the digital rights to the Miramax library to improve the premium content offerings on YouTube, and compete with similar services such as Hulu and Netflix.
On December 3, 2010, Disney closed the sale of Miramax for US $663 million to Filmyard Holdings, an investment group. The sale included 700 film titles, as well as books, development projects and the "Miramax" name. Mike Lang, the former News Corporation business development executive who was selected as the CEO of Miramax, indicated that the company would focus on their existing library.
After the sale was closed, some movies already developed at Miramax, including The Tempest and Gnomeo & Juliet, were eventually released by Disney under its Touchstone Pictures banner, and theatrical distribution of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and The Debt has been shifted to FilmDistrict and Focus Features respectively.
In March 2016, Qatari entertainment company beIN Media Group acquired Miramax. On December 20, 2019, ViacomCBS acquired 49% stake in Miramax (whilst beIN retained 51% stake in the company) for at least $375 million, with Paramount announcing exclusive agreements to distribute their library and co-produce their upcoming content.[1]
Films[]
1993[]
- Tom and Jerry: The Movie (US theatrical release only)
- Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.
- Map of the Human Heart
- The Innocent
- The Night We Never Met
- Deception
- Farewell My Concubine
- The Piano
1994[]
- Bullets Over Broadway
- Camilla
- Clerks
- The Crow
- Exotica
- Fresh
- Heavenly Creatures
- Little Buddha
- Loaded
- Mother's Boys
- Pulp Fiction
- Queen Margot
- Ready to Wear
- Royal Deceit
- Sirens
- Strawberry and Chocolate
- Through the Olive Trees
- Tom & Viv
1995[]
- A Month by the Lake
- Smoke
- Blue in the Face
- Cry, The Beloved Country
- The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
- Four Rooms
- Victory
- Fresa y Chocolate
- Georgia
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (released by Dimension Films)
- Il Postino: The Postman
- Kids
- Dead Man
- Lie Down with Dogs
- Mighty Aphrodite
- Moondance
- Muriel's Wedding
- Picture Bride
- Priest
- Restoration
- Runaway Brain (2015 Disney Movies Anywhere reissue only)
- The Crossing Guard
- The Crude Oasis
- The Glass Shield
- The Road Killers
- Country Life
- The Thief and the Cobbler
- Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
- Two Bits
- Unzipped
1996[]
- Beautiful Girls
- Scream (released by Dimension Films)
- The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia
- Basquiat
- Sling Blade
- Brassed Off
- Captives
- Chungking Express
- Citizen Ruth
- Così
- Emma
- Everyone Says I Love You
- Marvin's Room
- Trainspotting
- Flirting with Disaster
- French Twist
- From Dusk Till Dawn (released by Dimension Films)
- Hellraiser: Bloodline
- Jane Eyre
- Faithful (co-production with New Line Cinema, Price Entertainment and Savoy Pictures)
- Of Love and Shadows
- Microcosmos
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Miracle at Oxford
- Ridicule
- Shall We Dance?
- The Crow: City of Angels
- The English Patient (winner of the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche))
- The Journey of August King
- The Pallbearer
- The Star Maker
- Unhook the Stars
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
- Swingers
1997[]
- Addicted to Love
- Albino Alligator
- Chasing Amy
- Cop Land
- Good Will Hunting
- Shades of Fear
- The House of Yes
- Jackie Brown
- Love Serenade
- Mimic
- Mouth to Mouth
- Mrs. Brown
- The Rage
- Rhyme & Reason
- Robinson Crusoe
- She's So Lovely
- Squeeze
- The Substance of Fire
- The Wings of the Dove
- Welcome to Sarajevo
- Children of Heaven
1998[]
- 54
- The Big One
- A Price Above Rubies
- Celebrity
- All I Wanna Do
- Down in the Delta
- Everest IMAX
- Firelight
- Hav Plenty
- Heaven
- Jerry and Tom
- Life is Beautiful
- Little City
- Little Voice
- Monument Ave.
- Next Stop Wonderland
- Phantoms
- Playing by Heart
- Telling You
- Ride
- Rounders
- Senseless (co-production with Dimension Films)
- Shakespeare in Love (winner of the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow))
- Since You've Been Gone
- Sliding Doors
- Smoke Signals
- Summer Fling
- Sweet Revenge
- Talk of Angels
- That's the Way I Like It
- The Mighty
- The Truce
- The Very Thought of You
- Velvet Goldmine
- Wide Awake
1999[]
- A Walk on the Moon
- An Ideal Husband
- B. Monkey
- Diamonds
- East is East
- Happy, Texas
- Holy Smoke!
- Human Traffic
- Outside Providence
- Mansfield Park
- Music of the Heart
- My Life So Far
- My Son the Fanatic
- Princess Mononoke
- She's All That
- The Cider House Rules
- The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Rogue Trader
- Wishful Thinking
2000[]
- Scary Movie (released by Dimension Films)
- Down to You
- Reindeer Games (released by Dimension Films)
- Committed
- Hamlet
- Love's Labour's Lost
- In the Weeds
- Highlander: Endgame
- The Yards
- Bounce
- A Hard Day's Night
- All the Pretty Horses
- Malèna
- Vatel
- Chocolat
2001[]
- The Taste of Others
- Blow Dry
- Get Over It
- Bridget Jones's Diary
- Calle 54
- About Adam
- The Son's Room
- Tears of the Black Tiger
- The Closet
- Everybody's Famous!
- Apocalypse Now Redux
- The Others (released by Dimension Films)
- Captain Corelli's Mandolin
- The Musketeer
- Serendipity
- On the Line
- Daddy and Them
- Amélie
- Baran
- Behind the Sun
- Pinero
- Iris
- In the Bedroom
- Kate & Leopold
2002[]
- Speakeasy
- The Shipping News
- Italian for Beginners
- Birthday Girl
- 40 Days and 40 Nights
- Stolen Summer
- Enigma
- Lucky Break (owned by Paramount Pictures)
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- Tadpole
- Full Frontal
- Undisputed
- The Four Feathers
- Heaven
- Comedian
- Naqoyqatsi
- Frida
- Pokémon 4Ever
- Waking Up in Reno
- Ararat
- Rabbit-Proof Fence
- Equilbrium
- Gangs of New York (North American distribution)
- Pinocchio
- Chicago (winner of the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones))
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
2003[]
- City of God
- The Hours (released by Paramount Pictures)
- The Quiet American
- Gerry
- View from the Top
- Dysfunktional Family
- People I Know
- Blue Car
- Only the Strong Survive
- Pokémon Heroes
- Jet Lag
- Dirty Pretty Things
- Buffalo Soldiers
- The Magdalene Sisters
- The Battle of Shaker Heights
- Duplex
- The Station Agent
- Kill Bill Volume 1
- The Human Stain
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (owned by 20th Century Fox)
- The Barbarian Invasions
- Bad Santa (released by Dimension Films)
- Cold Mountain (winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Renée Zellweger))
2004[]
- My Baby's Daddy
- Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
- Jersey Girl
- Shaolin Soccer
- Ella Enchanted
- I'm Not Scared
- You Can't Stop the Murders
- Kill Bill Volume 2
- Valentín
- Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker
- Zatoichi
- Garden State
- Hero
- Paper Clips
- Infernal Affairs
- Shall We Dance? (2004)
- Chestnut: Hero Of Central Park
- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (owned by Universal Pictures)
- Finding Neverland
- The Chorus
- Darkness (released by Dimension Films)
- The Aviator (US theatrical release only)
2005[]
- Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys
- Bride & Prejudice
- Cursed (released by Dimension Films)
- The Best of Youth
- Dear Frankie
- Hostage
- The Amityville Horror (released by Dimension Films)
- Twin Sisters
- Cinderella Man (owned by Universal Pictures)
- Deep Blue
- The Warrior
- Secuestro Express
- The Great Raid
- The Brothers Grimm
- Underclassman
- An Unfinished Life
- Daltry Calhoun
- Proof
- Show Me
- Derailed
- Undertaking Betty
- The Matador
2006[]
- Keeping Up with the Steins
- Kinky Boots
- Renaissance
- The Heart of the Game
- The Night Listener
- The Queen (winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress (Helen Mirren))
- Venus
2007[]
- Becoming Jane
- Eagle vs Shark
- Golden Door
- Gone Baby Gone
- Neverwas
- No Country for Old Men (winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture)
- Our Very Own
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- The Hoax
- The Lookout
- There Will Be Blood (owned by Paramount Pictures) (winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis))
2008[]
- American Son
- Blindness
- Brideshead Revisited
- Doubt
- Happy-Go-Lucky
- Reprise
- Smart People
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
2009[]
- Adventureland
- Chéri
- Everybody's Fine (last Miramax film owned by Disney released on physical media)
- Extract
- The Boys are Back
Trivia[]
- Despite Disney selling off most of the Miramax Films library in 2010, Disney surprisingly still retains rights to the documentary film, Deep Blue as it, along with “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” (English-speaking countries only via Fox, now 20th Century Studios), currently streams on the Disney+ service.
- Disney still retains international distribution rights to Scary Movie 4 and Cinderella Man as well, which also stream on Disney+ via Star (international markets only).
Alternate logos[]
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References[]
- ↑ Szalai, Georg (December 20, 2019). "ViacomCBS to acquire 49 percent stake in Miramax for $375 million". Retrieved on December 20, 2019.
External links[]
