DIAGNOSIS: MOORE'S 'SICKO' DEAL IN ROBUST HEALTH (LAT)

By Nancy Vialatte

In arguably one of the most lucrative deals on Hollywood�s books, says today�s Los Angeles Times, Michael Moore stands to make 50% of the gross profits from his latest treatise, �Sicko,� which opens wide today. The deal, negotiated by Endeavor�s Ari Emanuel with the Weinstein Co., is �richer even than those enjoyed by the likes of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and director Peter Jackson.�

But that�s not all, Moore�s deal eclipses almost all other movie deals, says the LAT.

While most actors and directors get a cut calculated on 20% of a film's DVD revenue, Moore's cut of those earnings is calculated based on all of the DVD proceeds. Of course, since Moore's documentaries take in far less than most big-studio movies, his bigger slice is of a much smaller pie.

Yet, the ramifications of that loaded deal are not lost on the filmmaker. "It's a really interesting irony for me," Moore told the LAT. But, he argues, his financial accomplishments have actually allowed him to keep focused on the real world and given him more independence to cover his subjects as he sees fit.

"What it should do to me is remind me every single day that I have an even greater responsibility to do good with the success that I have been blessed with," Moore says. "I need to make sure that I am able to make the next film with the money that I have made on this film."

This financial independence insulates Moore, he says, from corporate pressures. "The money allows me to never have to give in, never compromise," Moore said. "Nothing can ever be held over my head in the sense of, 'If you don't do this, we won't give you your money!' 'Oh, wow, I guess I'll be in really bad shape, won't I?' That's an enormous bit of freedom that I have - to stay completely true to the things I believe in. But I have an even greater responsibility because I have been blessed with that great success. I challenge myself with that, constantly."

During Moore's visit to Los Angeles this week, it was easy to see the different worlds in which he moves. On Monday night, he unveiled "Sicko" at an outdoor screening in front of 200 homeless people on skid row. The next night, he introduced the film to some of the town's richest residents at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' theater in Beverly Hills.

Moments after sitting on Leno's "Tonight Show" couch, Moore mingled with the production crew, several of whom shared their healthcare horror stories and asked what they could do to improve the nation's healthcare system.

Meanwhile, Moore sparked a different kind of controversy than he�s used to when he said he didn�t much mind that "Sicko" was available for unauthorized Internet downloading well before its theatrical release.

"Harvey [Weinstein] cares deeply," Moore says. "But I want people to see it, and I believe information and art should be shared. I don't believe I am the owner of that. Now, I don't think you have the right to download my work and sell it for a profit. But I just disagree with this whole concept that sharing is bad�If Harvey were sitting here, he'd say, 'Well, you'd make less money.' And I'd say, 'That's exactly right. Because I don't need to make all the money I make.' "