“The Weinsteins are ready for their comeback”
Looks like the Weinsteins are on the comeback trail:
On Friday, Weinstein Co. releases “The King’s Speech,” a $12.3-million period drama about King George VI’s relationship with his speech therapist that is putting Harvey Weinstein back in his favorite spot at the center of Oscar buzz. Younger brother Bob, meanwhile, is returning to his roots by developing a slate of “genre” films, such as more sequels to such long-ago hits as “Scream” and “Spy Kids.”
A triumphant comeback for the Weinsteins would be a boost to the independent-film world, which has been ravaged by a harsh economic climate and failed business models that pushed several specialty film outfits out of business. After blowing through $1.2 billion in funding attempting to build a multimedia empire, the Weinsteins have to prove in an even tougher market that they still possess the movie picking and marketing skills that made them famous.
“I was a bad CEO and we had some good ideas that we executed as poorly as possible,” Harvey Weinstein said. “But now I’m ready to go back and do ‘Miramax 2’ because that’s what I want and that’s what the industry needs.”
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Speaking from London, where his company is producing “My Week With Marilyn,” about a little-known relationship between a young man and Marilyn Monroe, Weinstein avowed he’s returned to what he knows best. “I didn’t read ‘Juno’ or ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and I was only coming to the festivals to make my presence known,” he said, referring to the two independent hits snatched by rival Fox Searchlight. “Now, I realize the strongest thing I can do for my company is read 15 scripts a week.”
The indie film world can always use a boost, so let’s hope for the best with Bob and Harvey W. Your screenwriting takeaway is that last line I highlighted above. Two things:
* See how much focus buyers put on the script.
* Let’s say your script was one of the 15 scripts Harvey Weinstein was going to read this week. What about your story will make it stand out from the others?
Bottom line, that’s who you’re competing against: all those other scripts.
Make sure what you write is a professional quality script. And make it great.
For more on The King’s Speech, go here and here.