Weinsteins, MGM cut distribution deal short (VAR)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Vialatte

The Weinstein Co. and MGM have terminated their distribution deal with three months still to go. TWC is taking back seven of its films which will it will release by the end of the year. Titles include Kevin Smith's "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and Cormac McCarthy adaptation, "The Road." The decision to exit the agreement early followed TWC entering into its own output deal with Showtime, instead of relying on MGM's Showtime deal, Variety notes.

MGM will still release two titles from TWC's Dimension Films: the Bernie Mac-Samuel L. Jackson comedy "Soul Men" and "Hurricane Season" with Forest Whitaker.

"This transition was always anticipated and now it has been amicably executed," the Weinstein Co. said in a statement.

MGM said, "When it became clear that the deal wouldn't be re-upped, TWC asked for its films back, minus the two Dimension titles, and we agreed."

Under the original three-year deal, TWC paid for marketing and prints while MGM took a distribution fee for booking theaters.

From the Weinsteins' perspective, releasing their own films gives them more control, particularly in the case of specialty titles. Most of the TWC films released by MGM went wide, but now TWC will have far more discretion to use platform releases.

The other titles that now revert back to TWC are "Killshot," "Fanboys," "Crossing Over," "Extreme Movie" and "Shanghai."

"Zack and Miri" will open wide with the other six films all set to begin in limited runs.

Although TWC's Showtime deal doesn't technically start until 2009, the seven films will be fed through that output deal.