23/08/2002 - Miramax ends its contract with Bac Films and charges Buena Vista with the French launch of Benigni's Pinocchio

Miramax, who produced Roberto Benigni’s latest feature film, Pinocchio with a Dollars 40million budget, would like to see Gaumont Buena Vista International, headed by Jean-François Camilleri handle its distribution in France. The release date is March 26, 2003. However, the distribution of this movie is currently at the centre of a legal battle between Miramax and their French distributor, Bac Film. Bob and Harvey Weinstein announced they were cutting their ties to Bac Film in favour of setting up a new distribution arm with TF1, the only problem being that the major’s contract with Bac Film will run until September 2003. The issue of whether or not GBVI will distribute Pinocchio remains a moot point until the case goes to court in September. This is not the first time that Miramax has turned to Buena Vista, cutting Bac Films out of the picture (both Buena Vista and Miramax are owned by Disney). The most recent example was Lasse Hallstrom’s The Shipping News last February.

(Translated from French)