Weinsteins reel out release calendar

Co. planning 8 pix in '06, including 'Grind'

By GABRIEL SNYDER

Tarantino

Rodriguez

The Weinstein Co. has put dates to its slate. "Derailed," bowing Oct. 21, will be the first of six films skedded for release before the end of the year.

In addition, Bob and Harvey Weinstein said they are planning eight launches for 2006 including "Grind House," for which Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez each will direct a 60-minute horror tale.

In a statement the Weinsteins said, "We have said all along that we would hit the ground running and we are confident that this slate will represent and deliver the kind of movies that audiences love."

News follows last week's announcement at the Cannes Film Festival that the fledgling company had secured financing from Goldman Sachs and financier Tarak Ben Ammar.

The Weinsteins' last day with Miramax Films is Sept. 30, the day their employment contract with the Walt Disney Co. expires. Releases of several remaining pics at Miramax have moved up so that they will be in theaters before the separation, including "The Great Raid," "Proof" and "Unfinished Life."

The Weinsteins have skedded these pics:

• "Derailed," Oct. 21; suspense tale starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.

• "Wolf Creek," Nov. 18 under the Dimension banner; horror film debut of Greg McLean.

• "The Matador," platform release starting Nov. 18; black comedy starring Pierce Brosnan with Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis.

• "Transamerica," platform starting Dec. 2; dark comedy starring Felicity Huffman.

• "The Promise," platform starting Dec. 16; epic helmed by Chen Kaige and starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Jang Dong-Kun and Cecilia Cheung.

• "Mrs. Henderson Presents," platform starting Christmas Day; director Stephen Frears' follow-up to "Dirty Pretty Things."

• "The Gathering," Jan. 6; thriller starring Christina Ricci. Pic bowed at the 2002 Cannes market.

• "Feast," Jan. 20 through Dimension; horror pic produced during the most recent "Project Greenlight" skein.

• "Breaking & Entering," early February; drama helmed by Anthony Minghella starring Jude Law.

• "Pulse," March 3 through Dimension; Japanese horror remake starring Kristen Bell.

• "Killshot," March 17; Elmore Leonard adaptation helmed by John Madden.

• "Scary Movie 4," April 14 (Easter weekend); helmed by "Scary Movie 3" director David Zucker.

• "Grind House," spring 2006.

• "Sin City 2," summer 2006; continuation of the Frank Miller stories, helmed by Rodriguez.

Five of the films -- "Derailed," "Scary Movie 4," "Matador," "Breaking & Entering" and "Sin City 2" -- are co-productions with Disney. The Weinstein Co. will distrib the titles domestically, while Disney will handle international.

"An Unfinished Life," which stars Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez, will bow Sept. 9. "Proof," helmed by Madden and starring Gwyneth Paltrow, will be released Sept. 16. Both pics were once dated for Christmas 2004.

Long-delayed pic "The Great Raid," a WWII rescue adventure directed by John Dahl and starring Benjamin Bratt, is being moved up from Dec. 2 to Aug. 12. Shot in 2002, it was originally slated for a fall 2003 bow.

"Grind House" will be made in the spirit of old Hollywood presentations, including trailers and short extra materials between stories.

Tarantino said he hopes the pic will spawn a series of "Grind House" films.

Rodriguez echoed, "This will be the first of a series of movies we'll be making for the Weinstein Co."