9/11's Impact on the Film Industry Continues
The tragic events of September 11, 2001 are continuing to affect all aspects of American life, and the culture of film is no exception. This week, I'll be recapping the latest news from the film industry and the Academy about the affects of this tragedy and the war we now find ourselves embroiled in.
First up, there are more 2001 films being bumped from this year's schedule into 2002. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Collateral Damage was the earliest film casualty of the 9/11 events, as it was indefintely pulled from an early October release. And now, two very high profile epic dramas have been pulled from the 2001 schedule, one of which could have been a major Oscar contender. First up, the new Nicolas Cage World War II drama Windtalkers was pulled from release this year to come out sometime in May next year. The reason given was not related to the terrorist attacks on America, but instead to maximize its chances at gaining a large audience. It's unknown right now whether audiences will pay to go see a war film when we are seeing war all around us on our television screens.
The most unfortunate film dropped from the 2001 schedule is Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated period drama, Gangs of New York. In my predictions a couple of weeks ago, I anticipated this film being the film that might possibly bring Scorsese his first Oscar. Unless the rumor is true that they still might release the film for a one week qualifying run in late December, this film will end up being an early 2002 release. The reason given for this delay was related to the terrorist attacks, as well as allowing Scorsese more time to edit the film. Miramax acknowledged concern over releasing a violent drama set in New York just a few months after the events of September 11 (its original release date was supposed to be December 21).
Gangs of New York is already becoming known for continual rumors about various production problems and budget overruns. The film will end up being the most expensive film ever backed by Miramax. Daily Variety reported a potential rift beginning, mentioning that Miramax's Harvey Weinstein also wanted the film delayed to get a much shorter cut of the film, down from three hours to something like 2 1/2 hours. I'm sure we'll hear much more about this rumor, and if true, it sets up a huge battle between a mega producer and one of the most respected directors of all time. Guess who will end up coming out on the winning side of that one ...
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