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April 20, 2005
What The Rudin-To-Disney Stories Aren’t Talking About
With so many studios playing ring-around-the-rosey, it’s hard to figure out what move means what anymore. But here are a couple of words about the cause and effect of the Scott Rudin to Disney/Miramax...
Leslee Dart
In post-Katzenberg Disney, the king producer on the lot has been Jerry Bruckheimer. And I don’t think anyone really thinks that Bruckheimer will have any problem with the alternately-coasted Rudin joining the family. But with Bruckheimer’s reign in Burbank, there have been intermediaries... but mostly, it’s been Jerry.
But with Rudin comes Leslee Dart, currently paddling her own canoe. The relationship is not casual. It is not about the occasional press release or an occasionally managed crisis. Ms. Dart represents one of Mr. Rudin’s strongest, most loyal relationships.
Word has it that Cynthia Swartz, formerly of Miramax and formerly unwilling to work for Ms. Dart, will partner with Dart. In addition, Swartz’ Miramax boss, Amanda Lundberg, is said to be prepared to join the team, re-creating the east coast Miramax publicity leadership for, so ironically, Disney. Could it be that Ms. Lundberg ends up running New Miramax publicity in NYC with DwartzCo as their primary Oscar season hire? Could it be that Ms. Lundberg just sticks to a loose, half year arrangement that pays stunningly well and allows her more flexibility?
Well, anything is possible.
Swartz & Lundberg as independents immediately become the east coast go-to awards publicity company. What will be fascinating there is how thin they can spread themselves without attracting screams about conflicts, whether many of the tactics that Harvey Weinstein has taken public responsibility for year after year (often by design and certainly with aplomb) will be used by the duo, and whether studios that have never been as relentless and willingly outrageous as Weinstein has will be pleased to go down that road now that they have the team that knows how to do it. (Other Miramax veterans remain amongst the strongest award season players in L.A. and in each case, they have done strong work, pulled back on the shenanigans quite a bit out of respect for their new employers – in one case, including Disney... again - and been the first to call out others who cross the line since they are so familiar with where that line is.)
There is yet another element. Disney marketing chief Oren Aviv got a new title painted on his door this week too... announced a day after the Rudin news leaked. Is it a move to keep Oren in-house after they decided not to give him New Miramax and as he moves closer to producing? And will it leave a space for someone – say former Swartz compadre’ Dennis Rice – to move into the top marketing spot at Disney with Oren overseeing, much as Rob Friedman started his ascension at Paramount. Or will Rice take overall control of Miramax marketing in addition to his Disney duties with some variation on this group working, full-time or under contract, for him?
This brings me back to the original question... how much influence and power will Leslee Dart end up having at Disney? And how much power and influence do Bob Iger, Dick Cook, Nina Jacobson and Oren Aviv want her to have?
With as much power as Tom Cruise has at Paramount, Pat Kingsley’s role was always clear... she represented Tom. When Ms. Dart had Mike Nichols and Scott Rudin’s Closer at Columbia last year... it was clear... she represented her clients. But what happens when a key player at a studio is outsourcing very aggressive, very smart, very personal publicists in the name of the studio in a broader way than we’ve seen?
The line gets blurrier and blurrier...
Posted by poland at April 20, 2005 11:05 AM
Comments
Gosh, this post has been up for nearly four hours and, so far, no response from Spam Dooley. That's... odd.
Posted by: Joe Leydon at April 20, 2005 03:00 PM
...you could hear a pin drop.
Posted by: Dan R% ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 20, 2005 05:19 PM
Perhaps he's out of the country?
Posted by: Mr. Blobby at April 20, 2005 11:04 PM
the spammer is just looking for a way to disagree with david on it. don't worry bout him. he'll find some janitor at disney to bad mouth someone here and give him gossip
Posted by: bicycle bob at April 21, 2005 07:17 AM
Isn't it weird how few people have commented regarding this? It's like everyone who reads this blog suddenly vanished.
Posted by: Mr. Blobby at April 21, 2005 08:13 AM
Who's Scott Rudin?
Posted by: Martin at April 21, 2005 10:32 AM
I don't think its about vanishing. I think most people don't really care about the internals at studios. They care about the movies coming out and the stars and the directors. I think I know the industry fairly well and I don't even know these names here. But thats why I come. To learn.
Posted by: Terence D at April 21, 2005 12:27 PM
Rudin can do what he wants. But don't work for him. Trust me. Lets just say really fat, gay men who yell and scream aren't fun to work for.
Posted by: Mark at April 21, 2005 07:02 PM
didn't they base swimming with sharks on him? if hes anything like spacey, wow.
Posted by: bicycle bob at April 22, 2005 06:32 AM
bob
Leave it to you to be wrong and provoke my superior knowledge.
Swimming with Sharks was based on BARRY JOSEPHSON at Columbia.
as far as my comments
WHO CARES about Publicists?
Spam Dooley doesn't
Posted by: Spam Dooley at April 22, 2005 02:49 PM
Well gosh, Spamster: Does this mean publicists are people you wouldn't feed? That's harsh, man.
Posted by: Joe Leydon at April 22, 2005 03:51 PM
I heard the Swimming with Sharks/Scott Rudin rumor too, and sadly Spam is correct, that the writer was a former assistant to Josephson.
Posted by: jeff mcm at April 22, 2005 04:23 PM
Why is it sad? I am Spam Dooley and I am always right- or else I don't speak- unlike some of YOU.
And have you seen a publicist lately?
They don't need feeding.
I am Spam Dooley and I feed MY people.
Posted by: Spam Dooley at April 22, 2005 04:42 PM
Spammer is Jeff Wells. Bitter at Poland for having a ten times better site.
Posted by: Mark at April 22, 2005 05:10 PM
Mark is Mark Wahlberg, bitter at having worked with David Russell.
I am Spam Dooley and I know all!
Posted by: Spam Dooley at April 23, 2005 09:27 AM
spammer is the janitor over at the baja fresh on wilshire
Posted by: bicycle bob at April 25, 2005 06:34 AM
You're giving Spammer much too much credit. He's at the Carl Jr's.
Posted by: Mark at April 25, 2005 03:19 PM
Dave, it may be time to ban online poker. I don't think he even cares about movies. Maybe Rounders.
Posted by: Mark at May 25, 2005 09:11 PM
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