The Weinstein Co to Distrib The Butler

Oscar Watch: Today, the Weinstein Co. announced that they will distribute the Lee Daniels film, which stars Forest Whitaker, among others.  The full press release:

September 24, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that
they have acquired U.S. rights from Butler Films to distribute THE BUTLER, directed by
Academy Award nominated Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS). A Laura Ziskin Production, THE
BUTLER is produced by Pamela Oas Williams, the late Laura Ziskin, Lee Daniels, Buddy
Patrick and Cassian Elwes. Executive Producers include Hilary Shor and Adam Merims. It is
co-produced by David Jacobson. The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman
Harvey Weinstein and COO David Glasser.

Comprising this award-winning cast are: Forest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND),
Oprah Winfrey (THE COLOR PURPLE), Mariah Carey (PRECIOUS), John Cusack (THE
PAPERBOY), Jane Fonda (ON GOLDEN POND), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (JERRY MAGUIRE),
Terrence Howard (HUSTLE & FLOW), Minka Kelly (THE ROOMMATE), Lenny Kravitz
(PRECIOUS), Melissa Leo (THE FIGHTER), James Marsden (X-MEN), David Oyelowo (THE
PAPERBOY), Alex Pettyfer (MAGIC MIKE), Vanessa Redgrave (CORIOLANUS), Alan
Rickman (CBGB), Liev Schreiber (X-MEN), and Robin Williams (GOOD WILL HUNTING).

THE BUTLER, based on the screenplay by Danny Strong & Lee Daniels, is inspired by Wil
Haygood’s Washington Post article about an African-American man who served as a butler
(Whitaker) to eight Presidents in the White House for over thirty years. From this unique vantage
point, THE BUTLER traces the dramatic changes that swept American society, from the civil
rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and
family.

“What moves me most about this man is his quiet nature, grace and unmatched perspective that
comes from being in one place – a very powerful one – during what was arguably the period in
American history that saw the most change,” said Daniels, whose most recent film, THE
PAPERBOY, premiered at the 2012 Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals, and will also be
featured in this fall’s New York Film Festival.

Said Weinstein, “Lee tells stories in a way no one else does. What struck me most about this
story is the perspective it comes from, which in this case is the butler- a man who was a fly on
the wall for decades in the world’s most powerful home. It takes an unbelievable cast like the
one that’s in place to do this story justice, and we are proud to be given the chance to share this
story with the world.”

Added Williams, “This has been a passion project for all involved and we are thrilled to be able
to see Laura Ziskin’s vision for this film realized and know it will be a lasting tribute to her
incredible career.”

TWC and Butler Films made the deal based on the screenplay by Strong & Daniels. The deal
was negotiated by TWC’s Glasser and President, Business and Legal Affairs Andrew Kramer,
and by Schuyler Moore of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Cassian Elwes on behalf of Evolution
Independent, and CAA on behalf of Butler Films.

The film is currently in production in New Orleans.

THE BUTLER is financed by Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander
Media, Salloway Rubenstein Productions/Crystal City Entertainment, Earl W. Stafford,
Starstream Films, Yogi Entertainment, and Inner Media Capital. Executive Producers are
Michael Finley, Sheila C. Johnson, Brett Johnson, Matthew Salloway, Earl W. Stafford, Jordan
Kessler, Liz Destro, R. Bryan Wright, and James T. Bruce IV. Co-Executive Producers are
Charles Sauveur Bonan, Allen Frederic, Kim Leadford, Harry I. Martin, Jr., Ari Daniel Pinchot
and Jonathan Rubenstein.

As previously announced, THE BUTLER marks a high-profile return to production for Icon UK
Group, who also came in as major investors on the project. Len Blavatnik, Aviv Giladi and
Vince Holden will also serve as Executive Producers.

CAA packaged the film and is handling North American sales along with Cassian Elwes. The
film is being represented by IM Global for international sales.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched
in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in
1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob
Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY
MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre
and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes. TWC releases took home
eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best
Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin
and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best
Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT
THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE
ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS
BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL;
SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T
KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD
IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS;
UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; and EASY MONEY. Currently in release are THE
MASTER; THE INTOUCHABLES; and LAWLESS. Upcoming releases include WAR OF THE
BUTTONS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THIS MUST BE THE PLACE; SILVER LININGS
PLAYBOOK; and DJANGO UNCHAINED.

TWC is also active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of
Production and current President of Television Meryl Poster, with credits including the Emmy®
nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series Project Runway, spin-off series Project
Runway All Stars and Project Accessory, the VH1 reality series Mob Wives, spin-off series Big
Ang and Mob Wives: Chicago, and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series The No. 1
Ladies Detective Agency which also received a Peabody Award. The company is currently in
pre-production on the martial-arts epic Marco Polo for Starz. TWC additionally has 17 series in
different stages of development, including The Nanny Diaries, being adapted for ABC by Amy
Sherman Palladino (Gilmore Girls).