Miramax makes deal for Shaw Brothers films

Classic Hong Kong cinema coming to video, VOD.

By Laura Dunphy -- Video Business, 4/7/2003

APRIL 7 | Miramax Films has licensed video distribution rights to 50 Asian movies from the famous Shaw Brothers Studio and video-on-demand rights to the 760 Shaw titles in Celestial Pictures Ltd.'s library.

The Shaw titles were acquired in 2000 by Celestial, which was founded to buy, restore and distribute on DVD the classic Chinese film collection from the major studio in Hong Kong cinema. In October, Celestial said it would bring to video 760 titles, including Come Drink With Me, The Empress Dowager, Hong Kong Nocturne and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (VB, 10-14).

Under the new long-term deal, Miramax will select 50 titles for video distribution in North America, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. VOD rights to the entire Celestial-Shaw catalog are for North America only.

"We're especially proud of this agreement, because despite the Shaw Brothers producing the world's biggest and best Chinese film library, most of these great movies have not been available on home video and DVD," said Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein.

Celestial Pictures CEO William Pfeiffer added, "We also share the vision that VOD will be an important way to reach new viewers and to expand the film market."

VOD deals are still under negotiation, but one cable operator may already have its eye on the library.

"The expanded channel capacity and on-demand functionality made possible by digital cable has revolutionized the delivery of highly personal content to customers," Jim Dolan, president and CEO of Cablevision Systems Corp., one of the nation's largest cable companies, said in Miramax's news release announcing the deal.

"Miramax's licensing of the VOD rights to the famous Shaw Brothers library makes perfect sense given the power of this new technology and the immense popularity of this special interest programming throughout the nation," Dolan said.

In addition to the video licensing deals, Miramax has also secured rights to remake in English two films from the Shaw catalog. The titles have yet to be selected.

Founded by Sir Run Run Shaw in 1958, Shaw Brothers Studio has put out numerous renowned martial arts films and cultivated many young talents, including director John Woo.

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