Premiering next week as the opening selection for the Cannes Film Festival, Oliver Dahan’s Grace Kelly biopic “Grace Of Monaco” has taken a twisty path towards the festival. First it missed its intended Fall 2013 release date to allegedly allow more time for the film to be completed, but when it received a less-than-friendly spring date that’s when word leaked about U.S. distributor Harvey Weinstein’s unhappiness with the cut Dahan delivered, a struggle that led Weinstein to pull the film completely from the distributor’s schedule when Dahan refused to incorporate Weinstein’s “catastrophic” notes into a new cut of the film. With the Croisette on the horizon, it appears both parties are finally coming to a resolution on their troubles.
THR reports that the infamously brash producer has changed his mind on the film—no doubt swayed by the opening night selection—and “The Weinstein Company is in final negotiations to retain U.S. distribution rights to the film.” Prior to this, TWC was not only demanding that a new cut be delivered but that their $5 million fee for the U.S. rights be reduced to $3 million. The trade doesn’t explain what the demands are now but does note that the Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth-starring film still has no stateside release date. And we’re sure Harv is enjoying all this advance publicity for the movie.
“Grace Of Monaco” premieres next week on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival.
