Disney balks at Paltrow film

http://www.canoe.ca/JamMoviesArtistsP/paltrow_gwyneth.html
Monday, February 14, 2000


Disney wants out of its partnership to release "Duets" -- a new film
starring Gwyneth Paltrow and directed by her dad.

According to Variety, Disney objected to releasing director Bruce
Paltrow's film, which was scheduled to hit theatres in May, after
the new regime at the studio viewed the film, which is about karaoke
singers, and objected to two violent scenes.

The $16 million film traces the story of competitiors travelling
cross-country to a karaoke competition in Omaha, Nebraska, and stars
Gwyneth Paltrow, Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Huey Lewis, Paul
Giamatti,and Scott Speedman.

Variety said Disney objected to two scenes: one depicting a
convenience-store clerk being gunned down, and another showing a
karaoke singer being shot repeatedly.

Disney's previous regime, headed by Joe Roth, viewed the film and
voiced no objections, but since Roth's departure from the company,
the film was re-screened for new company chairman Peter Schneider.
Variety said Paltrow was asked to re-edit the film, but he refused.

"Those two scenes completely take you out of the film," a Disney
source told Variety. "It's just not for us. It may get a better
release somewhere else."

One obvious move would be to switch North American distribution
from Disney's Buena Vista arm to Miramax and its Dimension Films
subsidiary, which currently has the slasher send-up "Scream 3" at
the top of the box-office heap. But Variety said Disney doesn't
want any of its affiliated companies handling the film.

It's not the first time Disney has balked at distributing a film.
Last year, Kevin Smith's irreverent "Dogma" was sold to Lions Gate
releasing for fear of a religious backlash.

The decision also comes at a time when there is increasing political
pressure on Hollywood studios to tone down film violence.

-- JAM! Movies