Harvey Weinstein offered to finance the “Dogma” series before taking the film “hostage”

Kevin Smith is coming clean about what really happened with the rights to his hit 1999 film “Dogma.”

The religious satire starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock and Alan Rickman is currently being “held hostage” by producer Harvey Weinstein, according to the filmmaker. The film is not available for online streaming or digital purchase, while rare Blu-rays sell for around $100.

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“To tell the story, unfortunately, I’m going to have to say the name that no one wants to hear anymore. But of course Harvey Weinstein figures into the story,” Smith told The Wrap when asked about the fate of “Dogma’s” box office and critical success.

After then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner reportedly told Smith “not to make ‘Dogma'” because it was “too hot a button” of a film, Weinstein gave the film the green light anyway and l ‘eventually sold out on his own and released the film through his company Shining Excalibur. .

Smith said Weinstein only made “Dogma” knowing he could “do a Shining Excalibur with it at the end of the day, and since Disney paid for it, whether or not he should reimburse them, it would be up to him to make the film and deal with the consequences later.

Distributor Lionsgate has taken over the theatrical release, with Columbia/TriStar holding the home video rights for a limited time before “the rights expire,” according to Smith. Years later, as the Weinstein Company “rebuilt and made the almost Miramax version” of itself, Smith claimed that his film was “a complete afterthought.”

“I mean, honestly, not even a thought. I don’t think he realized he still owned that movie,” the “Clerks” star explained. “I don’t think he realized that public distribution was no longer available or anything. or like that.”

Smith’s last feature film with Weinstein was 2008’s “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” Ten years later, Weinstein called Smith “out of the blue” to pitch a “Dogma” TV series or sequel.

“All the people that were there are still here, so we can make a pretty good sequel or series even better,” Smith said. “And I was really excited because I was like, ‘Oh my God, for the first time. The guy remembered me. For example, after a decade, he remembered that I was part of the Miramax family. And he remembered he had “Dogma” and he had a cool cast and I don’t know, I felt wow, that’s cool.

A week later, The New York Times published an investigative report alleging that Weinstein had raped and assaulted dozens of women.

Smith recalls being “very excited” about “Dogma” being revisited, but then feeling “disgusting and disgusting” following the allegations against Weinstein (the former mega-producer was later found guilty of rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison.)

Smith recalled telling producer and former Miramax executive John Gordon that Weinstein had contacted him before the New York Times expose. According to Smith, Gordon told him that Weinstein “called everyone because he knew the story was going to happen.” And he wanted to know who was talking (to the New York Times).

“I thought, ‘That makes perfect sense,’” Smith recalls. “I’m naive, I don’t see all the angles. He wasn’t calling because he wanted to do anything with “Dogma.” He wanted to see if I was one of the people who had spoken to the New York Times. I hadn’t done it, because I didn’t know any of this.

Smith once claimed that Weinstein refused to pay royalties for “Clerks,” with a total of seven years before he could profit from the now-classic feature film that spawned a trilogy.

Years after the interaction with Weinstein in 2017, Smith was informed that a new “Dogma” DVD was being released and that Weinstein was trying to sell the film rights for $5 million, which Smith admitted , “overrated” the film. Weinstein’s lawyers contact Smith’s to ask him to get involved in the reissue.

“Please tell this company that I will have nothing to do with it, if he is still attached to it,” Smith said at the time. “I will work on any ‘Dogma,’ as long as it is no longer tied to it.”

Smith also tried to buy back the film rights, “which we felt very dirty about because we didn’t want to give him any money,” he added.

“But at the same time, it’s like my movie and he gets it,” Smith said. “He’s holding him hostage. My movie about angels belongs to the devil himself. And if there’s only one way out, maybe we can buy him back.

Weinstein “mocked” both of Smith’s offers, expecting $5 million, the filmmaker said.

“Look, I love ‘Dogma’ as much as the next guy, but a) I don’t have $5 million and b) it’s not what the market will bear anymore,” Smith said. “We live in the age of streaming. The last I heard was another company saying they wouldn’t sell me my film. I thought what else can I do? There’s not too much. You can make an audience stink, but I don’t think this guy reads the news anymore.

Smith speculated that Weinstein created a “different shell company” to sell “Dogma” by claiming a “new company” owned it.

“My movie about heaven is in limbo,” the “Chasing Amy” director said. “What sucks is that he also puts his big ass on my film. And the right thing to do would have been to sell it back to me even if you didn’t want to sell it for the price I said first. Tell us what that price is and sell me my personal expression.

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