Hollywood brings out the glitz and glamor of the entertainment industry. Stars are born, and iconic movies become a big part of the culture. Behind all this lies dark secrets. One of which was revealed on October 5, 2017, exposing Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse crimes. Since then, everyone witnessed the eventual downfall of Weinstein’s empire: The Weinstein Company. Learn how the Weinsteins became one of the biggest movie producers to getting jail time after the New York Times exposé. Here’s our take on the rise and fall of the Weinstein Company.
The Rise of The Weinstein Company
The Miramax Era
Before Harvey Weinstein founded the Weinstein Company, he and his brother, Bob, founded Miramax Films (now Miramax, LLC) in 1979. Named after their parents, Miramax became one of the leading studios producing big movies.
They bought the rights to several films, some considered controversial, and the studio also produced several controversial films. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Miramax took off after Weinstein produced critically acclaimed films like Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction.
During this decade, The Walt Disney Company acquired Miramax in 1993 for $60 million. However, Disney eventually sold the company in 2010.
Going back, Miramax’s success continued into the early 2000s. However, the brothers decided to leave the company to open The Weinstein Company.
From Miramax to the Weinstein Company
With its experience producing critically acclaimed films, The Weinstein Company reproduced its success from Miramax by producing some big hits, which we’ll list below. Its first release was Derailed, which starred Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston and grossed $57.5 million.
Compared to Miramax, The Weinstein Company produced only several big hits and highly acclaimed movies. However, some held their own at the box office. Plus, some earned nominations from entertainment award-giving bodies like the Oscars.
Several Big Hits
The Weinstein Company was responsible for some of the biggest movies you might have seen before. Here are a couple of famous and successful films from the company (some were also co-produced by other studios):
- Inglorious Basterds – $321.5 million
- The Artist – $133.4 million
- Silver Linings Playbook – $236.4 million
- Django Unchained – $426 million
- The Imitation Game – $233.6 million
- Lion – $140.3 million
The Fall of The Weinstein Company
Sexual Assault Allegations
In October 2017, The New York Times published an exposé revealing that Harvey Weinstein allegedly assaulted more than 80 women. Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor were the investigative journalists behind the article and interviewed former employees of Weinstein. Many women shared the same story about being abused or harassed by the producer in a hotel room. Unfortunately, women were silenced and were given settlements to stay silent over the matter.
Two actresses were vocal over Weinstein’s behavior, Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan. Ashley Judd had said no repeatedly to Weinstein’s invitations and massage requests. Weinstein was coercive after declining requests after requests. Meanwhile, Rose McGowan was paid $100,000, so she couldn’t come forward with a lawsuit and to stay silent. But that was not case as she was vocal over what she has experienced.
Other celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie came forward that they were also sexually assaulted by the producer.
This exposé led to the two investigative journalists writing a book, “She Said,” which was turned into a film starring Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan. Plus, the New Yorker also published a piece giving 13 women a voice regarding their experience with the producer.
Lawsuits and Sentencing
After Twohey and Kantor’s exposé, many women came forward with their lawsuits to convict Harvey Weinstein for his crimes. In 2017, six women filed a lawsuit against the producer. Additional lawsuits from a Jane Doe, Rose McGowan, and Ashley Judd were filed. Judd’s lawsuit was dismissed in Los Angeles.
In 2020, Harvey Weinstein was put on trial for his crimes. The trial lasted for two months and ended on February 24, 2020. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty and would be sentenced for 23 years for his crimes. After his New York trial, Weinstein was also put on trial in Los Angeles. He also pleaded not guilty for his LA trials. He was also found guilty and faces 24 years of jail time.
Cancelled and Released Projects
The aftermath of the exposé meant that projects in the studio would be affected.
One notable project that was canceled was a YA adaptation of “Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock.” It was supposed to star Channing Tatum, but he announced he would no longer star in the project. Some TV shows were scrapped, too, like the Elvis biopic and David O. Russell-helmed TV series.
Although not canceled, Peaky Blinders removed “The Weinstein Company” from the credits.
The Current War was a big project that was still released worldwide. It received mixed reviews and was a box office bomb, earning only $12.2 million against the $30 million budget. Another project that was released was The Upside. Unlike the previous film, this movie performed well at the box office, earning over $125.9 million against the $37.5 million budget.
Bankruptcy
Since the allegations were made public and more women came forward, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Plus, the company was already considered defunct last July 16, 2018.
