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The New York Times - October 10, 2002
Miramax Blinks, and a Double DiCaprio Vanishes By Laura M. Holson
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 -- Hollywood executives have made sport since early summer predicting which
studio -- Miramax Films or DreamWorks -- would back down and change the Christmas Day release of
its blockbuster contender, preventing a duel between films starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Harvey Weinstein, the co-chairman of Miramax, finally gave way today.
"Gangs of New York," the highly anticipated epic about pre-Civil War Manhattan from Martin
Scorsese, will reach theaters in early December instead of Dec. 25, when it would have gone
head-to-head with "Catch Me if You Can" by the director Steven Spielberg.
Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Mr. Weinstein, said the company had not decided what day in early
December that "Gangs of New York" would be released but added, "This is a competitive film, and we
are confident that this and other quality projects will succeed during this season."
But agreeing to change the release from Christmas Day, a date Mr. Hiltzik maintained adamantly
last week that Mr. Weinstein was sticking by, shows just how concerned the studio was about
whether "Gangs," which also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, would prevail in the all-important opening day.
For weeks, three people involved in the film said, several executives at Miramax have been urging
Mr. Weinstein privately to cede Christmas Day to "Catch Me if You Can," a lighthearted story about
a con artist who impersonates people. It also stars Tom Hanks. The decision to change the date,
one of these people said, came after a Miramax meeting this week when several executives pleaded
with Mr. Weinstein to reconsider.
Even Mr. DiCaprio was not pleased at having two movies released on the same day because he did not
want to have to choose which to promote at the expense of the other, his publicist said. And
several people involved with the film were concerned that "Gangs," with its violent content, would
be hard pressed to attract families on Christmas Day.
"We've been waiting six months for DreamWorks to change the date, and they weren't going to do it,"
said one person involved in "Gangs." "Everyone talked some sense into Harvey. We said, `We're not
going up against their movie because they will win.' "
Miramax has a lot riding on a profitable Christmas season.
It has three other big movies opening on or near Christmas Day, including "Pinocchio," starring
Roberto Benigni; "Chicago," which is based on the Broadway musical; and "Confessions of a Dangerous
Mind," the movie directed by George Clooney about the "Gong Show" creator, Chuck Barris, who
claimed to be a spy. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a DreamWorks founder who is also a friend of Mr.
Weinstein, said in an interview today that he had breakfast with Mr. Weinstein last week in New
York to discuss their respective movies' release dates and joked that they settled their
differences after the two ate waffles, and later "stayed up late telling manly stories."
All kidding aside, he agreed that the decision was based more on economics than breakfast food and
bonding. "He and I had many conversations about why releasing the movies on the same day was in
none of our interests," Mr. Katzenberg said. "It was an uncomfortable situation as both companies
have a big investment in Leo DiCaprio."
Miramax executives are emphasizing that "Gangs" had a 50 percent overall awareness with the
audiences it has tested and 64 percent among the much-coveted males older than 18. Such awareness
is not surprising given a barrage of international media coverage about the movie.
Some Miramax executives are still stinging from a spate of articles this year chronicling the
problems "Gangs" had getting from the script phase to the screen. It has been more than three
years since Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Scorsese embarked on the movie, which is based on a 1927 book
by Herbert Asbury.
Mr. Weinstein hoped the movie would be released last year in time for the 2001 Academy Awards. At
times, Mr. Scorsese and Mr. Weinstein sparred during the film's production over both its length
and the time it was taking to make it.
Last Friday, Mr. Scorsese was still tinkering with the movie's sound at a production studio near
Times Square. When asked at the studio then about how long it was taking to finish "Gangs," Mr.
Scorsese offered with a sigh, "I was saying this morning, `We need to end this.' "
Any weekend that Miramax chooses to release the film will be a challenge. On Dec. 13, one date
that many executives within Miramax favored, "Star Trek: Nemesis" is scheduled to be released. The
second installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is set for a Dec. 18 release. Thanks to Pax ! ***
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