In news that suggests the Weinstein Company is in financial straights – or at least could use a serious infusion of cash – the business has signed an exclusive seven-year theatrical-movie-output deal with cable channel Showtime which includes Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards.” The deal guarantees they will have first TV dibs on and broadcast rights to ‘Basterds’ and Rob Marshall’s musical “Nine” (which just added Kate Hudson to its cast).
Harvey Weinstein is producing the film with longtime producer Lawrence Bender, but evidently they still need some studio co-financing to get the project off the ground.
Meanwhile, Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Q is meeting with Brad Pitt today in France to discuss the part. Doesn’t he know he just added a pair of cubs to his now-eight member litter? Give the dad a break. Either way it seems like full steam ahead for ‘Basterds.’
Tarantino has been shopping the film around Hollywood with the incentive of handing over the script’s foreign rights according to Ms. Finke. Evidently studios are holding off on offers until they find out whether Pitt is onboard or not and this make sense considering the story doesn’t hold that many spots for American bankable names as many of the characters are German and French and should be cast as such.
