Amazon Questioning Matt Weiner, David O. Russell Series Over Weinstein Ties
It’s hard to chart where exactly the ousting of Harvey Weinstein will lead next, but it certainly calls into question a number of Weinstein company projects. Two such Amazon outings are now “reviewing” Weinstein involvement, potentially setting back Matt Weiner’s The Romanoffs and a new David O. Russell-Robert De Niro drama.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Weinstein Co. was expected to spend close to $80 million to finance the new David O. Russell drama, along with the equally expensive Matt Weiner anthology, though no money has yet traded hands. Amazon brass are said to be “reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.,” with some calling to scrap the two-season David O. Russell drama in its entirety.
The Romanoffs is likely to be in better shape, having already shot its first few episodes with stars like Mad Men alum John Slattery and Christina Hendricks, with a possibility to extricate the series from The Weinstein Co. Amazon boss Roy Price is reluctant to scrap a $160 million investment in the Russell project (including $750,000 per episode for De Niro), even as it was Weinstein who convinced him Russell could be managed effectively.
The ongoing Weinstein drama has also raised questions about company projects like Apple miniseries about famous musicians, The Paramount Network’s Waco miniseries and a Trayvon Martin docuseries from former Weinstein adviser Lisa Bloom, but stay tuned to see how Amazon handles its two high-priority series.