Amazon ‘Reviewing Options’ On TWC Series Amid Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Amazon

As Harvey Weinstein’s free fall from grace continues with numerous new allegations of sexual misconduct surfacing every day, the involvement of his now-former company The Weinstein Company in two high-profile and expensive new Amazon series, Matthew Weiner’s The Romanoffs and a David O.Russell untitled drama starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore, may be in jeopardy.

The executive producer credit for Harvey Weinstein already is being removed from all TWC series, including the two on Amazon, in wake of the scandal. On top of that, rumors about Amazon eying potential partying of the ways with TWC altogether and the David O. Russell series being in danger surfaced yesterday when the streaming company would not confirm them. That has since changed as the accusations against Weinstein escalated to sexual assault with a second devastating expose in five days, this time in The New Yorker.

“We are reviewing our options for the projects we have with the Weinstein Co.,” Craig Berman, VP communications at Amazon Entertainment, said in a statement,

Amazon picked up The Romanoffs in a eight-episode, $70 million deal and the David O. Russell’s series in a two-season $160 million deal within a span of two weeks last fall, with the close relationship between Amazon Studios head Roy Price and Harvey Weinstein said to have been a factor in the back-to-back big-ticket buys.

As we first reported yesterday, while TWC had signed on as co-financier on both series, the company has not come through with any financing as of yet, even with one of the shows, The Romanoffs, already in production, and Amazon Studios has been solely footing the bill so far. (Some say TWC’s contribution is due in 2018.)

The David O. Russell’s series has been more of a question mark. It is still ways off from start of production, and, in an unusual move, limiting its exposure, I hear Amazon only took domestic distribution. I hear TWC had been shopping international rights to the project to other outlets.

Amid rising concerns within Amazon, exposed in a Tuesday staff meeting, there had been talk about possibly scrapping the David O. Russell series. While no decision had been made, Amazon’s statement indicates that all options are now on the table.