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Nola News - June 21, 2002
Holiday season offers twice the Leo By Michael H. Kleinschrodt
Unless someone blinks, Leonardo DiCaprio's fans will get a double dose of pleasure this holiday
season but not because studios are feeling generous.
In fact, it sounds as if Spielberg is seeing red over the prospect of competing films cutting into
the box office green.
DreamWorks' "Catch Me If You Can," directed by Spielberg, is set to open on Christmas, the same
day Miramax now plans to release "Gangs of New York," directed by Spielberg's longtime friend,
Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio stars in both films.
If Miramax executive Harvey Weinstein was counting on the directors' personal friendship to make
the problem disappear, he might want to think again.
"The thing of it is we were the first ones to announce in both trade papers -- and it was carried
all over the place -- that we were on the 25th of December," Spielberg said. "Two weeks later,
Harvey jumped on our date, and he imposed `Gangs of New York' on top of our date. I certainly am
not going to move. . . .
"I never would have jumped his date. That's not the kind of person I am. So I wouldn't have done
that. There would have been no further conversation. Had Marty been on the 25th, I would have come
out much earlier. We claimed that date and Harvey jumped it, which is just the kind of guy Harvey
is. We all know Harvey. That's the kind of guy he is, and Harvey's going to have to deal with
Marty. This is really going to have to be a fight between Harvey and Marty. We're firm on that
date, and we're not going to move or retreat. We're not going to be bullied off the date."
Spielberg said he's not worried about the situation, adding that it was never a big deal when two
Cary Grant or two Loretta Young pictures opened the same day during Hollywood's golden age.
"I still think people are going to go see these movies because of the movies and not necessarily
because of who's in them," he said. "We also have a secret weapon in our movie. It's called
`starring Tom Hanks as well.' "
Of course, that's probably what Weinstein is saying about Cameron Diaz's appearance in the
Scorsese film.
Thanks to Pax & Shaolin ! ***
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