Moore accused of publicity stunt over Disney 'ban'
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
07 May 2004
Less than 24 hours after accusing the Walt Disney Company of pulling
the plug on his latest documentary in a blatant attempt at political
censorship, the rabble-rousing film-maker Michael Moore has admitted
he knew a year ago that Disney had no intention of distributing it.
The admission, during an interview with CNN, undermined Moore's claim
that Disney was trying to sabotage the US release of Fahrenheit 911
just days before its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.
Instead, it lent credence to a growing suspicion that Moore was
manufacturing a controversy to help publicise the film, a full-bore
attack on the Bush administration and its handling of national
security since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
In an indignant letter to his supporters, Moore said he had learnt
only on Monday that Disney had put the kibosh on distributing the
film, which has been financed by the semi-independent Disney
subsidiary Miramax.
But in the CNN interview he said: "Almost a year ago, after we'd
started making the film, the chairman of Disney, Michael Eisner, told
my agent he was upset Miramax had made the film and he will not
distribute it."
Nobody in Hollywood doubts Fahrenheit 911 will find a US distributor.
His last documentary, Bowling for Columbine , made for $3m (£1.7m),
pulled in $22m at the US box office.
But Moore's publicity stunt, if that is what is, appears to be
working. A front-page news piece in The New York Times was followed
yesterday by an editorial denouncing Disney for censorship and denial
of Moore's right to free expression.
Moore told CNN that Disney had "signed a contract to distribute this
[film]" but got cold feet. But Disney executives insists there was
never any contract. And a source close to Miramax said that the only
deal there was for financing, not for distribution.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=518901
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