In a tale of Hollywood intrigue, former producer and convicted offender Harvey Weinstein, known for his notorious backstage maneuvers, faced off with filmmakers over their movies. Weinstein, often dubbed “Harvey Scissorhands” for his ruthless editing, was a control freak who didn’t hesitate to threaten filmmakers if their films didn’t align with his vision.
One such showdown took place with director James Gray’s film, “The Immigrant,” featuring Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix. Gray recounted how Weinstein’s actions affected the film’s fate at the box office.
Harvey Weinstein’s Clash with “The Immigrant” Director
Harvey Weinstein had a reputation for sabotaging films when they didn’t conform to his desires. In the case of “The Immigrant,” a disagreement arose between Weinstein and director James Gray regarding the final edit of the film. Gray claimed that Weinstein threatened to give the film a TV release as retaliation. Although this didn’t happen, Weinstein did undermine the film’s box office success by granting it a limited release, despite its initial acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. Gray explained to The Telegraph:
“Harvey burying the movie was a very self-destructive act, which was basically an extension of the rejection of him. It violated his narcissistic principles. When you don’t do exactly what he wants, it doesn’t matter that it’s in his self-interest to protect the film – he doesn’t see it that way.”
Despite Weinstein’s attempts to derail “The Immigrant,” James Gray remained undeterred, believing that if his film had value, it would be discovered by audiences in the years to come.
Weinstein’s Unethical Tactics to Affect Robin Williams’ Payday
Weinstein’s influence also extended to impacting Robin Williams’ earnings. In addition to his clash with “The Immigrant,” Weinstein limited the box office run of “Good Will Hunting” to reduce Williams’ payday. Despite the film’s considerable success, grossing over $225 million, Kevin Smith alleged that Weinstein deliberately pulled it from theaters to avoid paying Robin Williams his rightful share. According to ET Canada, Smith recalled:
“I remember they pulled that movie out of theaters while it was still earning at the time… From what I remember, Robin’s split would be even greater, and he’d get a bigger percentage if it crossed $100 million, so every dollar the movie made at the theatrical box office would have to be split – I’m not sure if it was a 50/50 split – with Robin Williams.”
Weinstein once claimed to edit films to make them better, but given the mounting reports of his backstage antics, it’s clear that he wasn’t the most ideal collaborator in Hollywood.