Michael Moore speaks with a Congressman in a scene from FAHRENHEIT 9/11.
© Miramax Films
Fahrenheit 9/11
By: Corona's Coming AttractionsDate: Monday, August 09, 2004
Genre:
Documentary.
Studio:
Lions Gate Films.
Production Company:
Dog Eat Dog Films.
Project Phase:
In the Can.
Who's In It:
Michael Moore (Himself); George W. Bush (Himself).
Who's Making It:
Michael Moore (Director, Screenwriter); Michael Moore, Jim Czarnecki, Kathleen Glynn (Producers).
Premise:
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore turns his attention to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, examining the aftermath and how President Bush's administraion reacted to the tragedy.
Release Date:
June 25, 2004.
Comments:
Moore has never been one to shy away from controversial subjects; look no further than his previous film BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE to see the man in action. He also hasn't been shy of blasting the Bush administration and its role in a post-September 11 America, and his opinions have drawn both applause from his supporters and condemnation from his critics. Whatever side of the fence that you fall upon in regards to Moore's politics, one thing is certain: the man has captured the attention of tens of millions around the world by turning his camera lens upon America.
Scoop Feedback:
May 5, 2004... Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore (BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE) has been hit with an unexpected twist of fate: Walt Disney Pictures is refusing to allow its subsidary, Miramax Films, from distributing Moore's next picture, FAHRENHEIT 911, this summer.
Moore's documentary examines the roles that President Bush and the bin Laden family played in the days following the terrorist attacks committed against America on September 11, 2001. The day after 9/11, the bin Laden family members were flown out of the country thanks to a special order allowing them air travel while the remainder of the country's airports were shut down. FAHRENHEIT 911 also examines the close business ties between the Bush and bin Ladens prior to 9/11 and is critical of Bush's role in stopping terrorist activity.
Miramax is trying to work out an agreement with its parent company that would reverse Disney's decree but chances are slim to none of it being reversed.
In a letter posted on his website today, Moore says that the reason he was told of Disney's cold feet for FAHRENHEIT 911 had to due with possible financial repercurssions arising from the loss of tax breaks from the state of Florida in the wake of the release of the film. Florida's governor is Jeb Bush, brother of President Bush.
"There is much more to tell, but right now I am in the lab working on the print to take to the Cannes Film Festival next week (we have been chosen as one of the 18 films in competition)," writes Moore on his website. "I will tell you this: Some people may be afraid of this movie because of what it will show. But there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done, it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll see it this summer -- because, after all, it is a free country."
[The New York Times, Micahel Moore.com.]
May 13, 2004... Walt Disney Pictures has given its blessing for Miramax Films to buy back the rights to Michael Moore's new documentary picture FAHRENHEIT 9/11. After purchasing the rights last year, Disney announced last week that it had decided to not release Moore's controversial picture because it did not meet the so-called family criteria deemed appropriate for the studio, as well as containing explosive subject matter in an election year. Four years ago Disney encountered criticism from religious and private groups over the decision to release Kevin Smith's DOGMA film which contained religious subject matter in its fictional storyline. Ultimately Disney backed off and chose to ride out the controversy by allowing DOGMA to be released by Lions Gate Films.
Miramax heads Bob and Harvey Weinstein are said to now be in talks with independent film distributors regarding a deal to release FAHRENHEIT 9/11 into theaters this coming summer. According to Variety the top candidates for the job are Lions Gate, Focus Features and Newmarket Films, the latter of which released Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST this spring to tremendous box office response.
FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is Moore's examination of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks upon America and how the Bush administration chose to handle the crisis. The film makes reference to the subsequent flight of the bin Laden family out of America in the days after the terror attacks and the connections between Bush and the bin Laden families. [Variety.]
May 17, 2004... The aura of interest surrounding Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 film continues to grow, with the latest developing coming from the Cannes Film Festival happening right now in France. Moore's new documentary has just been screened at Cannes and at the conclusion of the picture the result was unprecedented: a fifteen to twenty minute long standing ovation was given to the film by the audience. "It was the longest standing ovation I've seen in 25 years," Miramax's Harvey Weinstein is quoted as saying in The Hollywood Reporter.
FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is one of the films running in competition this year at Cannes. After losing confidence in the film, Walt Disney Pictures decided to not distribute Moore's controversial look at the 2001 terrorist attacks and President Bush's business involvement with Osama bin Laden's family. The movie is now being sought after by smaller movie distributors such as Newmarket Films, Focus Features, Lions Gate Films and ThinkFilm. [The Hollywood Reporter.]
May 22, 2004... The prestigious Palme d'or prize has been awarded to Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 documentary at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Charlize Theron presented Moore with the award at the festival's closing ceremonies, the first documentary to win the Palme d'Or since Jacques Cousteau took it for his 1956 film THE SILENT WORLD.
In other Cannes news, Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress award for CLEAN and the Jury Prize was given to Irma P. Hall for her performance in THE LADYKILLERS. A complete list of winners is now online at the Festival's official website. [Cannes Film Festival.]
May 25, 2004... Our page is launched for this project.
June 1, 2004... In a deal worth $6 million dollars, the Miramax brothers have bought back the rights to Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 from Walt Disney Pictures. Now that they own Moore's film, Bob and Harvey Weinstein are creating a new company called the Fellowship Adventure Group to broker a new distribution deal for the controversial documentary. Disney will donate the funds given by the Weinsteins to charity and the Weinsteins are in talks with multiple independent film studios to distribute the picture. At the present time Lions Gate Films seems to be the frontrunner for 9/11. [The Hollywood Reporter, Variety.]
A deal could be in place as early as this week, and according to Variety, the film could be in theaters by the end of June.
June 2, 2004... Details on how Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 will get its release are finally surfacing. Now that a deal has been struck between Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the newly formed Fellowship Adventure Group created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the film is likely to be playing on about 1,000 screens when it's released on June 25. All three companies are taking a share of the risk and reward for FAHRENHEIT's theatrical run while the film's cable broadcast rights have gone to Showtime. Negotiations for the home video avenue are being worked on at the present time. [Lions Gate Entertainment.]
June 3, 2004... In an update to his personal website, filmmaker Michael Moore has informed his readers that he has placed the trailer for FAHRENHEIT 9/11 online at the film's official website. For many of us that have been following the controversy surrounding Moore's latest project, it's the first chance we've had to actually view any material from the film. It's available for download in either QuickTime or Windows Media and can be found here.
Now that Moore's film has found a distributor with Lions Gate Films and IFC Films, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 will open in theaters domestically on June 25. [Michael Moore.com.]
After Its Release:
June 27, 2004... Filmmaker Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11, his controversial documentary about the terrorists attacks of 2001 and the Bush Administration, rose to the top of the box office even though the film is showing on less than one thousand screens. Playing on just 868 screens, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 took in an estimated $21.8 million in its first three days of release, earning more than Moore's previous effort, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, did throughout its entire theatrical run. The movie also had the highest per screen average of any film this weekend, and over the course of the next two weekends its distributors will expand F 9/11 into more markets.
August 4, 2004... Michael Moore's controversial examination of the political fallout from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, will be released on home video on October 5, 2004. The DVD release will feature additional material and features such as:
The FAHRENHEIT 9/11 DVD will be available in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. The suggested retail price is $28.95. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, it's interesting to note that the home video release of F 9/11 comes a little less than one month before the day of the American Presidential election. [Columbia TriStar Home Video.]
Official Web Site:
Related Web Sites:
The Official Michael Moore Website -- The name says it all.
Dog Eat Dog Films -- Michael Moore's film production company.
