The Weinstein Company has bumped three movies from their release slate, including their Intouchables remake and Mary Magdalene. The moves likely came about due to uncertainty over the company's future as it seeks new owners. TWC remains in a state of turmoil after firing founder Harvey Weinstein from the Board of Directors in the wake of sexual assault allegations. Co-founder Bob Weinstein has faced his own sexual harassment allegations as well.
As of last November, TWC reportedly carried a debt load of $550 million. The list of studios reported to have shown interest in buying the company includes Viacom, MGM and Sony. At last report, Lionsgate, former SBA administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and Killer Content had surfaced as prospective buyers. TWC already sold off the rights to Paddington 2 and The Six Billion Dollar Man in order to raise funds. Allegations against Harvey Weinstein also prompted last year's TWC-funded Wind River to drop the company's name from its credits ahead of its Oscar campaign.
Related: Paddington 2 is Currently the Best Reviewed Movie Ever on Rotten Tomatoes
The Weinstein Company has now announced several changes to their 2018 release slate as they await new ownership. Deadline reports that The Upside, the company's remake of their own French hit The Intouchables, has lost its March 9th date. Also, Mary Magdalene will give up its March 30th slot. And finally, War With Grandpa starring Robert De Niro will no longer come out on February 23rd. All three films are now listed as "unset 2018." The Upside and War With Grandpa would have received wide releases, with Mary Magdalene looking at a limited roll out.
The Upside stars Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart in a comedy about a rich paraplegic and the unemployed ex-criminal hired to help him. Mary Magdalene stars Rooney Mara as the titular biblical figure in a feminist take on Magdalene and Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix). In War With Grandpa, a kid has to give up his room to his grandfather (De Niro), and decides to go to war over it. Those hoping to see Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus will have to wait a little - or perhaps a lot - longer. So too those eager to witness Robert De Niro once again playing a gruff old man.
The new round of slate adjustments comes after TWC already bumped The Current War, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison, from its planned late 2017 release date. With The Weinstein Company looking a mess, who knows when the movies named above will see the light of day. At least Paddington managed to escape.
More: What Happens Now to The Weinstein Company’s Movies?
Source: Deadline
