Release Date Rumors - Everyone has an opinion!
****October 18 2002 - Gangs of New York will officially be released on December 20 2002, a full year to the day from its original release date. Thanks to Pax for the news!- The official news
October 18 2002 - Hollywood Reporter - "Gangs of New York" is set to rumble with the holiday competition Dec. 20.
After bowing out of a possible Christmas day showdown with another Leonardo DiCaprio (news) starrer, DreamWorks' "Catch Me If You Can," Miramax Films said Thursday that it has picked Dec. 20 to domestically bow Martin Scorsese (news)'s period drama. The new date moves the film's U.S. release ahead of its international bow because Initial Entertainment Group, "Gangs' " overseas handler, previously had said it would open the film Dec. 21 in Japan.
"With Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis (news) and Cameron Diaz (news) in a movie by a master filmmaker, we thought, 'What other date than the 25th would make the most sense?' " Miramax chairman of worldwide distribution Rick Sands said. "(DreamWorks) thinks that the 25th is the best date for their movie. And we think the 20th is the best for ours."
Miramax will bow "Gangs" in 2,500 theaters and on 2,800-3,000 screens. After talks with DreamWorks, the mini-major said last week it would shift its "Gangs" release to Dec. 6, 13 or 20. Sands said Dec. 20 "made the most sense" and that an earlier date would have pitted the film against New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," which opens Dec. 18, and Paramount's "Star Trek: Nemesis," which takes off Dec. 13. While the new date still pits "Gangs" against "Two Towers' " first weekend, Sands said the films aren't necessarily going for the same audience. He said that an R rating differentiated "Gangs" from "Towers" -- which is expected to carry a PG-13 rating -- and that the mini-major was counting on 18- to 34-year-olds coming out to see "Gangs" first.
Miramax is hoping the film will subsequently build with older audiences after Dec. 25 "once all the gifts are opened" and more mature moviegoers become available. " 'Lord of the Rings' is a monster," Sands said. "But there is room in the marketplace for more than one big-grossing epic film." Miramax pointed to Dec. 19, 1997, when "Titanic" and "Tomorrow Never Dies" went toe-to-toe, with the films raking in more than $28.5 million and $19 million, respectively, and last year, when "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" "Jimmy Neutron," "Vanilla Sky" and "Ocean's Eleven" faced off while all reaped major bucks at the boxoffice. According to Sands, tracking on Scorsese's $100 million-plus "Gangs" has put "awareness" of the film at 50%, based on its marketing campaign thus far.
Yule logjam grips 'Gangs'
Miramax sets Leo starrer to face off with 'Lord' - By JONATHAN BINGFacing a holiday release schedule more claustrophobic than the teeming streets of old Manhattan, Miramax Films has decided to open "Gangs of New York" Dec. 20.
The mini-major will bow the Martin Scorsese historical epic on 2,500 screens , muscling into an opening-weekend frame that already includes "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," Denzel Washington's directorial debut, "Antwone Fisher," the Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock romantic comedy, "Two Weeks Notice," and the animated Nickelodeon cartoon adaptation, "The Wild Thornberrys."
The new release date is the latest twist in a distribution saga that has seen Miramax reposition the pic several times. The stakes have always been high for the pic, whose budget is roughly $100 million, according to Miramax.
Originally set to hit theaters in December 2001, the pic was rescheduled for July 2002, then transplanted to Dec. 25, a move that pitted "Gangs" against another Leonardo DiCaprio starrer, DreamWorks' "Catch Me if You Can." Following talks with DreamWorks (Daily Variety, Oct. 10), Miramax decided to put some space between the pics.
"Rings," which bows two days before "Gangs," on Wednesday, Dec. 18, should provide the toughest competition. Both are violent period sagas, and "Rings," whose first installment opened to $75 million over five days last December, will be on 5,500 screens , with a brand-awareness driven, in part, by a November DVD release of the first installment that includes 30 minutes of additional footage. "Rings," which is rated PG-13, also casts its net over a wider demo. "Gangs" is rated R.
Miramax chair of worldwide distribution Rick Sands told Daily Variety that in past years, the holiday frame has provided room enough for more than one tentpole.
Two years ago, the opening weekend for "Cast Away" yielded $40 million for the Tom Hanks pic, $22 million for "What Women Want," which opened the week before, and $15 million for "The Grinch," then in its 6th week in release.
Buzz among older auds
Sands noted that "Gangs," which stars DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz, benefits from strong buzz among filmgoers slightly older than the "Rings" demo. Last month, he said, awareness of the pic among men 25 years and older was 63%, according to an NRG poll commissioned by Miramax.
"That pre-Christmas week," he said, "all the colleges are out. The 18 to 34 audience will see the movie immediately. Older demographics take longer to make up their mind. They'll go, starting in the second week."
But "Gangs" has precious little breathing room.
The logjam of holiday event pics will create such fierce competition for screens that some early December releases could die on the vine before Christmas. Paramount opens "Star Trek: Nemesis" on Dec. 13; the week before that, Warner Bros. bows "Analyze That."
The U.S. release of Dec. 20 now is the worldwide opening of "Gangs," a pic whose star wattage and violent content should play well overseas. Pic bows in Japan Dec. 21.
Miramax Films, which sold foreign rights to IEG for $68 million, will not participate in the foreign haul.
But the opening weekend showdown between "Rings" and "Gangs" will prove lucrative for Miramax co-chairs Harvey and Bob Weinstein no matter how "Gangs" performs. The Weinsteins, who own gross points on "Rings," have already earned millions of dollars from the New Line franchise.
From the UK:Film fans in the United States will be the first to see Martin Scorsese's long-awaited new movie Gangs of New York after its release date was moved forward, according to reports.
It had been expected that Japanese cinema-goers would see the film four days before the rest of the world.
But the US release date has now been brought forward by five days from Christmas Day to 20 December, according to trade publication Variety.
The $100m (£65m) movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, will now open just two days after the second instalment of The Lord of the Rings.
Oscars tip
US film fans will have a wide choice of blockbusters in the holiday period, with Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher, and Hugh Grant's new comedy, Two Weeks Notice, also battling for attention.
Gangs of New York will open on 2,500 screens in the US and is one of the early favourites to pick up Oscars at next year's ceremony.
It was originally set for release at Christmas 2001.
Disputes and delays over cutting the film down from its original three-hour 40-minute version were blamed for the lengthy delay in finishing the film.
The finished version lasts for two hours and 40 minutes.
'Knockout punches'
The première was originally due to be held at the Cannes Film Festival in May, but only a 20-minute taster was shown.
The extended trailer was cheered enthusiastically by the audience and described by one critic as "a string of knockout punches", but by another as "so brief that it was impossible for anyone to feel much".
Gangs of New York is set in downtown New York in the middle of the 19th century and tells the story of a young immigrant Irishman, played by DiCaprio, out to avenge his father's murder.
The film's cast also includes Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent and Daniel Day-Lewis as a gangland boss.
Scorsese has said: "Ultimately this film asks the question 'What is America, and what does it mean to be an American?'"
It is scheduled to be released in the UK on 10 January.
- The Rumors (before October 18)
Dreamworks/Miramax: Each had a project with Leonardo DiCaprio set for Dec. 25, but Miramax rescheduled to avoid rivalry.
By KIM MASTERS
Miramax has decided to move Martin Scorsese's costly and long-in-the-making epic "Gangs of New York," which features DiCaprio in a central role, from Dec. 25 to an earlier date in December that had not been determined by midday Thursday. That means Scorsese's gritty tale of gang warfare in 19th century Manhattan will not go head-to-head with Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can," a holiday confection that also stars DiCaprio. "There are challenges to having the two films on the same date," Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said. "Whatever the eventual date will be, we're extremely confident in the film. This is one of the great times of the year to release the film, and there's plenty of opportunity for this and other quality projects to perform well." At DreamWorks, Miramax's decision brought relief after months of tension over the clashing dates. "We didn't like having to share Leo's audience with that movie, and we also didn't think it was seemly to have two of America's greatest directors square off against each other," DreamWorks executive Walter Parkes said. Indeed, the two directors have a long and complicated friendship. Their vastly different styles are on display in these two films, which feature dramatically different DiCaprios. In "Gangs," he is bulked up to play a grubby street fighter. He is trimmed down and squeaky clean for his turn in "Catch Me if You Can" as an early-'60s teenage con artist who poses as a pilot, doctor and lawyer. The holiday season is packed with high-profile movies, and finding a new date for "Gangs" could prove difficult. On Dec. 6, Warner Bros. releases "Analyze That," the sequel to its hit comedy with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro. The following weekend, Paramount launches the latest installment of "Star Trek." And on the 18th, New Line will open "The Two Towers," the second episode in its "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Many in the industry are wondering how Miramax can handle its extraordinary number of films set for holiday release. Aside from "Gangs," a few films have generated early buzz. "Chicago," a musical starring Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere, already is being mentioned as an Oscar contender. Other Miramax openings include "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," directed by George Clooney; Roberto Benigni's "Pinocchio"; and "The Quiet American," a Philip Noyce-directed drama. Industry executives said head-to-head competition between "Gangs of New York" and "Catch Me if You Can" wouldn't have been good for either project. But most believed that the underdog in such a contest would have been Miramax's "Gangs," with its violence and length--approaching two hours and 40 minutes. And the stakes are high. The picture has a budget substantially in excess of $100 million, making it by far the most expensive film Miramax has made. It's arriving a year late. DreamWorks' "Catch Me if You Can" cost about half as much, and Spielberg shot it in 55 days. At about two hours, it is shorter than "Gangs" and considerably sweeter. And it pairs Spielberg with Tom Hanks, one of the most bankable stars. Finally, there's DiCaprio, looking much as he did when he made legions of female fans swoon in "Titanic." "Gangs of New York" doesn't lack star power. Along with DiCaprio, it has Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis, whose performance may put him in Oscar contention. But the characters have an eccentric period look, and they are coated with meticulously re-created 19th century grime. As one producer observed, "Nobody's cute in 'Gangs of New York.' " Miramax spokesman Hiltzik says early tracking shows that "Gangs" will appeal to a broad audience. "An action film with romance starring Leo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis, directed by Martin Scorsese with music by U2, has tremendous, widespread appeal," he says. Research shows that the potential audience has an exceptionally high awareness of the film before Miramax has run the first ad for it. Tom Sherak, a partner at Revolution Studios, thinks "Gangs" can perform strongly, especially now that it has been moved. "It looks like something that I want to see," he says. "It has a cachet to it." But he expects that the picture, with its dark themes and violence, will appeal primarily to big-city audiences, and that would limit the box office potential to about $100 million, he says. "It can't do as much business as a picture that plays everywhere," he predicts. "Catch Me if You Can," on the other hand, looks like a film with appeal in the heartland as well as in urban areas. "If a movie is going to work big, it works from the middle [of the country] out," Sherak says. Most industry watchers were surprised that Miramax took as long as it did to move the film to a different date. One prominent agent speculated that Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein was reluctant to move "Gangs" in part because of the ongoing rivalry between his company and DreamWorks. The two have engaged in bitter Academy Awards battles for several years. There were rumors that DiCaprio was so upset over the conflict that he threatened to back away from publicity chores for either movie unless some accommodation was reached. Ken Sunshine, the star's publicist, says those reports were "completely bogus." Ultimately, says one prominent agent, Weinstein had no choice but to yield. "Harvey would alienate everybody in the whole world if he were trying to throw another Leo DiCaprio movie out there on Christmas Day," he says. "It's blood sport setting these dates, but there is a certain amount of cooperation that has to go on with these studios when it comes to releasing movies with the same stars." Miramax contends that Weinstein set "Gangs of New York" for release Dec. 25 after DreamWorks principal Jeffrey Katzenberg assured him that "Catch Me if You Can" would open in November. DreamWorks denies that Katzenberg made such a promise. But if Weinstein had consulted a release schedule, he would have seen that the Spielberg movie was parked on Dec. 25 when he announced the "Gangs" date. Miramax contends that Weinstein set that date without checking. On Thursday, Katzenberg said, "We're going to root for them in every way we can." One source with knowledge of Weinstein's actions says he and Scorsese hastily agreed on the Christmas date just before the Cannes Film Festival in the face of mounting media interest in the progress of the much-delayed "Gangs." "I think they figured they'd work it out or they'd win," this insider says. "It was a mistake." (Scorsese's publicist, Lois Smith, said Scorsese never involves himself in scheduling decisions. And Hiltzik said the date had been set weeks in advance of Cannes.) DreamWorks says it never considered moving "Catch Me if You Can" from its date. But the studio clearly wanted "Gangs" to move. To that end, Spielberg did something he had never done in his storied career: He cut together 14 minutes of footage from his film to show to selected members of the press. In other words, DreamWorks flashed its poker hand to show that it wasn't bluffing. Meanwhile, Spielberg made a friendly gesture toward his old friend Scorsese. When Scorsese couldn't get a Miramax-provided jet to the recent Hollywood Film Festival Awards, Spielberg offered his plane. Scorsese--still toiling over "Gangs of New York" in the editing room--decided not to attend. The two directors and their projects have undergone a series of twists. "Gangs" is a project that Scorsese had dreamed about making for decades. Spielberg, on the other hand, did not intend to direct "Catch Me if You Can." At one time, DreamWorks wanted Lasse Hallström to take the helm. But the studio couldn't strike a deal with Miramax, which would have had to release Hallström to take the assignment. When DiCaprio committed to "Catch Me if You Can," DreamWorks delayed the start of production so that he could finish filming "Gangs." During that interlude, Spielberg decided to direct the film, and the confrontation between the two directors inadvertently was set into motion. Spielberg and Scorsese have a long-standing relationship that an executive who has worked with both describes as "friendly but strained." When both were starting out, Spielberg was the one who seemed to be at a disadvantage, according to Peter Biskind, author of "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls." "Steven said to me at one point that when he was coming up, he wanted to be Marty," Biskind said. "He wanted to be an auteur." Spielberg, who had worked in television, was "too studio" for Scorsese's crowd, Biskind said. According to Biskind, Spielberg was so concerned about his artistic bona fides that he briefly decided not to direct "Jaws." But after he established himself as a box office titan, it was Scorsese's turn to be concerned about his failure to make a highly commercial film, according to executives familiar with both directors. In the early '90s, the two briefly switched roles. Three executives familiar with the episode give the following account: After Spielberg tried to develop "Schindler's List" without success, he turned the project over to Scorsese, who commissioned screenwriter Steven Zaillian to tackle it. Zaillian came up with a successful approach, and Spielberg wanted the project back. Spielberg asked Scorsese to attend a reading of another script--a reworking of the 1962 thriller "Cape Fear." Scorsese traded "Schindler's List" for the presumably more commercial "Cape Fear" remake. As an incentive, one of the executives said, Scorsese's deal gave him a percentage of the film's gross for the first time--the kind of deal that had long been a matter of routine for Spielberg. The directors' representatives would not comment. The bargain paid off for Scorsese--to a point. "Cape Fear," which pulled in $77 million at the box office, was the highest-grossing film he has directed. But "Schindler" grossed $96 million. And in a moment of considerable irony, Spielberg won the Academy Award for best picture and director--both honors that have eluded Scorsese to this day.
The celebrity death match pitting the lightweight Leonardo DiCaprio against the heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio has been called off.
Thanks to Peanut
David Poland's suggestions for placement of "Gangs"...though I noticed he has still made NO comment about 'preview' he 'saw' ....DATE SWITCH: News broke late last week that Miramax would break the logjam and move Gangs of New York. Then, news broke that Phonebooth was considering a date change due to the current rash of sniper shootings in the Washington/Virginia area.
Here's my suggestion... move Gangs of New York to November 15, where it really belongs, and move Phonebooth - which is a good little thriller - to February, where it belongs. It's not like Phonebooth is an Oscar movie and it would do well to be free of all the commercial competition. Gangs, on the other hand, would be even better on November 1, where it would face I Spy and Santa Clause 2... very different demos. But on the 15th, where there are suddenly 1500 or so screens coming available, it's Harry Potter, period... and Gangs would give parents something else to go to the movies and see. The next weekend, The Emperor's Club, Friday After Next and Bond... again, not head-on competition. Solaris hits on the 27th. But that's two full weekends of servicing the adult audience before reaping the Thanksgiving benefit.
C'mon, Harvey... it's a genius move... admit it... you have one of the few movies that doesn't need the extra month of promotion. Journalists are wetting themselves, just waiting to play with the Gangs... and it would be impossible if Phonebooth weren't moving... but fate and fortune smile on you, oh Jewish Movie Buddha. Go for it.
October 10 2002: Variety
Date change for 'Gangs'
NEW YORK -- "Gangs of New York" is on the move ... again.
Days after lining up an international release sked (Daily Variety, Oct. 11), the Miramax pic is destined for a new domestic date.
"Gangs" had been skedded to bow on Wednesday, Dec. 25. Now, Miramax says it will release the pic on an earlier Friday -- Dec. 6, Dec. 13 or Dec. 20 -- but a firm date has yet to be reached.
Earlier in the week, Initial Entertainment Group, which pre-sold and controls "Gangs" overseas, confirmed that the Martin Scorsese-helmed pic will open in Japan on Dec. 21.
"We're always looking to do what's best for the film," said Matthew Hiltzik, Miramax's veep of corporate communications. " 'Gangs' is a competitive movie with top actors, a legendary director and great music that will have broad appeal. There's plenty of opportunity for this and other quality projects to succeed."The move comes following talks between Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. Though normally rivals come Oscar time, Miramax and DreamWorks appear to be working in tandem to try to coordinate two big films that both star Leonardo DiCaprio. DreamWorks' "Catch Me If You Can" is opening on Dec. 25.
For his part, Scorsese is still well ensconced in the editing process; he didn't show up to accept his Lifetime Achievement honor at this week's star-studded Hollywood Film Festival. (DiCaprio accepted on Scorsese's behalf.)
The duo plan to travel to Tokyo in mid-November to help launch the Japan release of "Gangs."
NEW YORK TIMES:
Miramax Blinks, and a Double DiCaprio Vanishes
By LAURA M. HOLSONLOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 -- Hollywood executives have made sport since early summer predicting which studio -- Miramax Films or DreamWorks -- would back down and change the Christmas Day release of its blockbuster contender, preventing a duel between films starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Harvey Weinstein, the co-chairman of Miramax, finally gave way today.
"Gangs of New York," the highly anticipated epic about pre-Civil War Manhattan from Martin Scorsese, will reach theaters in early December instead of Dec. 25, when it would have gone head-to-head with "Catch Me if You Can" by the director Steven Spielberg.
Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Mr. Weinstein, said the company had not decided what day in early December that "Gangs of New York" would be released but added, "This is a competitive film, and we are confident that this and other quality projects will succeed during this season."
But agreeing to change the release from Christmas Day, a date Mr. Hiltzik maintained adamantly last week that Mr. Weinstein was sticking by, shows just how concerned the studio was about whether "Gangs," which also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, would prevail in the all-important opening day.
For weeks, three people involved in the film said, several executives at Miramax have been urging Mr. Weinstein privately to cede Christmas Day to "Catch Me if You Can," a lighthearted story about a con artist who impersonates people. It also stars Tom Hanks. The decision to change the date, one of these people said, came after a Miramax meeting this week when several executives pleaded with Mr. Weinstein to reconsider.
Even Mr. DiCaprio was not pleased at having two movies released on the same day because he did not want to have to choose which to promote at the expense of the other, his publicist said. And several people involved with the film were concerned that "Gangs," with its violent content, would be hard pressed to attract families on Christmas Day.
"We've been waiting six months for DreamWorks to change the date, and they weren't going to do it," said one person involved in "Gangs." "Everyone talked some sense into Harvey. We said, `We're not going up against their movie because they will win.' "
Miramax has a lot riding on a profitable Christmas season.
It has three other big movies opening on or near Christmas Day, including "Pinocchio," starring Roberto Benigni; "Chicago," which is based on the Broadway musical; and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," the movie directed by George Clooney about the "Gong Show" creator, Chuck Barris, who claimed to be a spy. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a DreamWorks founder who is also a friend of Mr. Weinstein, said in an interview today that he had breakfast with Mr. Weinstein last week in New York to discuss their respective movies' release dates and joked that they settled their differences after the two ate waffles, and later "stayed up late telling manly stories."
All kidding aside, he agreed that the decision was based more on economics than breakfast food and bonding. "He and I had many conversations about why releasing the movies on the same day was in none of our interests," Mr. Katzenberg said. "It was an uncomfortable situation as both companies have a big investment in Leo DiCaprio."
Miramax executives are emphasizing that "Gangs" had a 50 percent overall awareness with the audiences it has tested and 64 percent among the much-coveted males older than 18. Such awareness is not surprising given a barrage of international media coverage about the movie.
Some Miramax executives are still stinging from a spate of articles this year chronicling the problems "Gangs" had getting from the script phase to the screen. It has been more than three years since Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Scorsese embarked on the movie, which is based on a 1927 book by Herbert Asbury.
Mr. Weinstein hoped the movie would be released last year in time for the 2001 Academy Awards. At times, Mr. Scorsese and Mr. Weinstein sparred during the film's production over both its length and the time it was taking to make it.
Last Friday, Mr. Scorsese was still tinkering with the movie's sound at a production studio near Times Square. When asked at the studio then about how long it was taking to finish "Gangs," Mr. Scorsese offered with a sigh, "I was saying this morning, `We need to end this.' "
Any weekend that Miramax chooses to release the film will be a challenge. On Dec. 13, one date that many executives within Miramax favored, "Star Trek: Nemesis" is scheduled to be released. The second installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is set for a Dec. 18 release.
