Film

Another Director Says The Weinstein Brothers Kept Him From Casting Mira Sorvino

The remarks by the director of Bad Santa comes after Peter Jackson made similar allegations.

by Patrick Lenton  17 December 2017
Harvey Weinstein

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Earlier this week, Peter Jackson claimed that Harvey Weinstein’s company Miramax blacklisted actresses Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd during casting discussions for Lord of the Rings. Now director Terry Zwigoff has backed up Jackson’s claims by reporting a similar experience during the casting of his movie Bad Santa.

Zwigoff took to Twitter to share his recollections of working with Harvey and Bob Weinstein. He says he was interested in casting Sorvino in the film, but that whenever he mentioned her name on the phone to the brothers, the call would be disconnected.

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“What type of person just hangs up on you like that?! I guess we all know what type of person now,” said Zwigoff. “I’m really sorry Mira.”

Sorvino is one of more than 50 women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault.

Following Zwigoff’s remarks, a spokesperson for Harvey Weinstein released a press statement denying the allegations. “Mr. Weinstein denies speaking with Terry regarding casting,” it reads. “That was a Dimension film (Bob Weinstein) and Harvey had nothing to do with it.”

Harvey Weinstein has also disputed Jackson’s original claims, with a spokesperson insisting that “while Bob and Harvey Weinstein were executive producers of the film, they had no input into the casting whatsoever.”

Jackson, for his part, has stuck to his story, in which he says Miramax told him that Sorvino and Judd were “a nightmare” to work with and should be avoided “at all costs”.