Weinsteins to Start Producing for Broadway

The Weinstein Co. is going to start producing for Broadway.

The Weinstein Co., which was a minority co-producer on the season's Tony-winning play and play revival, "August: Osage County" and "Boeing-Boeing," is developing a slew of stage projects. First up will be a musical of "Finding Neverland" in 2010, followed by a stage incarnation of Pink Floyd album "The Wall."

Also being developed are musicals based on Miramax pics "Shakespeare in Love," "Chocolat," "Cinema Paradiso" and "Shall We Dance."

According to Variety the Weinstein's have had a growing interest in theatre. In 2000 Harvey Weinstein helped bring the revival of Tom Stoppard's play "The Real Thing" to Broadway and then became involved the following year in Mel Brooks' "The Producers," Weinstein has, both personally and with the Production Company he runs with his brother, Bob, invested in and produced legit fare, albeit maintaining a low-key role in the creative process. For the upcoming slate of projects, however, he's laying plans for TWC to take the reins.

"Now it's time for us to really take the lead on things," Weinstein said. "We own all these properties that lend themselves to musicals."

TWC joins a growing roster of major film players with a hand in theater production. In addition to Disney, which has made musical theater a lucrative part of its operations, Universal, Warner Bros., MGM and New Line all have been involved in Broadway shows adapted from their screen properties, while Dreamworks Animation steps into the fray this year with its inaugural offering, "Shrek."

Aiming for a 2010 preem, "Finding Neverland," based on the 2004 Miramax pic about the backstory behind J.M. Barrie's creation of "Peter Pan," has a book by Allan Knee, the Brit scribe from whose play the movie was adapted. The score is by the "Grey Gardens" duo of composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie.

Likely to materialize after "Neverland" is "The Wall." Pink Floyd's Roger Waters is aboard with playwright and screenwriter Lee Hall ("Billy Elliot") to adapt the book from the cult album, which was the basis for a 1982 Alan Parker film. Former Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola will be a producer on the project as well.

Because Weinstein's involvement in theatrical projects has been as a supporting producer and investor, his exploits have largely remained under the radar -- so much so that some in the entertainment industry may have been surprised to see the producer among those onstage collecting trophies at the Tonys on Sunday.

TWC is a producer not only on "August" (which nabbed five Tonys) and "Boeing" (which scored two) but also on this season's Broadway staging of Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll," nommed in four categories. As an investor in "Young Frankenstein," he picked up another three noms.

Last season, TWC co-produced "Frost/Nixon," which won the lead actor Tony for Frank Langella (who reprises the role of Richard Nixon in the upcoming screen adaptation). "The Color Purple," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Wonderful Town," the Sam Mendes-helmed 2003 "Gypsy" revival and "La Boheme," directed by Baz Luhrmann, are among the dozen or so prior projects on Weinstein's legit resume during the Miramax years, when Weinstein was credited mostly as an individual.

TWC's growing stage biz reps one facet of the company's multiplatform approach, with the core film business flanked by TV, publishing and now legit divisions. Development of the company's theater projects is spearheaded by Ben Famiglietti, veep of production and development.

The majority of tuners on TWC's development slate are being adapted from Miramax properties. The Weinstein brothers' former company, Miramax, also produced the long-in-development, Oscar-winning movie-musical version of "Chicago," which helped revitalize the tuner genre in Hollywood. TWC is in pre-production on the screen adaptation of "Nine," also directed by Rob Marshall.

Weinstein anticipates luring Hollywood talent over to Broadway, saying he's already talking to Juliette Binoche about playing a season in a "Chocolat" musical On the Rialto. He's also begun conversations with Gwyneth Paltrow about a possible Broadway stint.

"I can bring that world into it," Weinstein said of his Hollywood connections. "He's really branched out," added Marshall. "We've talked about a series of projects onstage."

Meanwhile, Weinstein has no doubt Stoppard, who co-wrote the screenplay for "Shakespeare in Love," would be involved in the musical version of the 1998 pic.

"Harvey's the real link between the theater world and film," said director Susan Stroman, who worked with Weinstein on "Producers" and "Frankenstein." "He understands what it is to put on a giant production."

TWC's developing lineup is made up of large-scale musical projects -- which these days can cost $10 million-$15 million On the Rialto -- but plays are on TWC's radar as well.

Financing on legit projects will follow the standard model for Broadway musicals, with Weinstein shepherding the development process before unveiling the shows for potential investors in workshops. Weinstein anticipates collaborating again with many of the Broadway producers with whom he has rubbed shoulders on previous projects.

"Harvey Weinstein has demonstrated that he has the same keen eye for creative and daring material on stage that he has always had with film," said Jean Doumanian, one of the lead producers on "August." "I look forward to finding another show that we can collaborate on in the future."

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.