Brad Pitt's production house to make film on New York Times' Harvey Weinstein exposé

The New York Times investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein is going to be made into a feature length film, reported Variety. The investigation by New York Times' reporters led to the downfall of the Hollywood mogul.

The as-of-yet untitled project will focus on the work of reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey who fought through intimidation and threats and revealed the scale of abuse perpetrated by Weinstein, one of the most influential figures in modern Hollywood. There are no stars or directors formally attached to the project.

Weinstein’s downfall led to the #MeToo and Time's Up campaigns and has sparked the beginning of a change in Hollywood with stars openly demanding improvement in gender and pay disparity, representation of different races, and fair treatment of women.

According to the report in Variety, the film will not focus on the producer and the victims, but on the work done by Kantor and Twohey. Oscar-winning films Spotlight and All the President’s Men are being cited as inspirations.

The movie will be produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B, and by Annapurna Pictures.

Kantor and Twohey received a Pulitzer Prize for the investigation. They won the award jointly with Ronan Farrow who had reported further testimonies by female actors alleging harassment by Weinstein.

Updated Date: Apr 26, 2018 18:03:32 IST</s>Brad Pitt is taking Harvey Weinstein‘s fall from Hollywood mogul to disgraced producer to the big screen.

The 54-year-old actor’s production company, Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures have acquired the rights to the story of how New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey investigated and uncovered Weinstein’s pattern of sexual misconduct. The duo’s work recently earned them a Pulitzer Prize.

The project will take after Oscar-winning films such as All the President’s Men and Spotlight, focusing on the reporting that led to the Oct. 2017 exposé rather than the alleged abuse and harassment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

There are currently no writers or filmmakers tied to the movie.

Image zoom Harvey Weinstein and Brad Pitt Kevin Winter/Getty

Pitt and Weinstein have a rocky history. Gwyneth Paltrow is one of dozens of women who came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, telling the New York Times that the movie mogul made unwanted advances towards her in a hotel room when she was 22. The encounter, which she says occurred after Weinstein hired her for the lead role in Emma, allegedly ended with him placing his hands on her and suggesting a massage.

RELATED VIDEO: Will Harvey Weinstein Scandal Change Things for Women and Sexual Harassment in Hollywood?

Pitt, who was dating Paltrow at the time, confronted Weinstein about the incident at a Hollywood party around 1995, a source previously told PEOPLE.

“Brad threatened Harvey,” explained the source. “He got right in his face, poked him in the chest and said, ‘You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.’ “

The source added that the actor, who was just rising in the business at the time of the encounter, “made it clear there would be consequences” if Weinstein tried anything again, and “described it as giving Harvey a ‘Missouri whooping.’” (Pitt grew up in Springfield, Missouri.)

Image zoom Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage

Image zoom Gwyneth Paltrow and Harvey Weinstein BEI/REX/Shutterstock

Paltrow, who would go on to win a Best Actress Oscar in 1999 for the Weinstein-produced Shakespeare in Love, “feels relieved and pleased to have spoken out,” said the source.

Pitt also worked with Weinstein again, starring in Inglourious Basterds in 2009, which The Weinstein Company released and Harvey executive produced. Said the source: “He did Inglourious Basterds because of his relationship with Quentin Tarantino, and had nothing to do with Harvey.”

Pitt also appeared in 2012’s Killing Them Softly, another Weinstein Company film.

Weinstein, 66, currently faces over 60 sexual assault and misconduct allegations against him. He is under investigation for rape by the Los Angeles Police Department, while police in the United Kingdom have widened their investigation into Weinstein to include allegations of sexual assault by seven women.

A spokesperson for Weinstein previously told PEOPLE in a statement that “any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.”</s>He's been a part of the entertainment industry for decades.

And Brad Pitt, 54, is embarking on another cinematic journey as his production company reportedly acquired the rights to a film centered around the New York Times' investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Plan B Entertainment has teamed up once again with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures for a behind-the-scenes dramatization on how the publication broke the story that accused the powerful Hollywood producer of a pattern of sexual misconduct.

Pitt's interest in creating the film may stem from a 1995 incident with Harvey after then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to enduring unwanted advances from the producer.

'Brad threatened Harvey,' a source told PEOPLE magazine. 'He got right in his face, poked him in the chest and said, 'You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.''

The source also added that the actor, who was just making a name for himself in the industry, 'made it clear there would be consequences' if Weinstein tried anything again, and 'described it as giving Harvey a 'Missouri whooping.'

The film will follow how journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey came together and will be treated in a similar way to 2015 Oscar winner 'Spotlight,' about the Boston Globe's reporting on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Annapurna spokeswoman Ashley Momtaheni said.

The story sparked the #MeToo movement exposing workplace harassment and won a Pulitzer Prize last week.

The film is not expected to focus on Weinstein himself, Momtaheni added.

The original investigation by Twohey and Kantor into Weinstein's alleged behavior was published in October last year.

The two reporters were honored last week with a Pulitzer Prize, the highest honor in American journalism, along with Ronan Farrow who reported on Weinstein for the New Yorker magazine.

More than 70 women have accused Weinstein, once one of Hollywood's most powerful figures, of sexual misconduct, including rape. Weinstein has denied having nonconsensual sex with anyone.

A representative for Weinstein did not have immediate comment on the deal.

Annapurna has partnered in the past on films with The Weinstein Company, Weinstein's former production company which is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Plan B is best known for producing three Oscar best picture winners, 2006's The Departed, 2013's 12 Years a Slave and 2016's Moonlight.</s>Brad Pitt’s production company is making a movie about the reporters who helped bring down now-disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, despite the star’s previous involvement with the Miramax founder.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pitt’s Plan B productions, which was previously responsible for Oscar-winning films such as “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” is working to make a film that focuses on New York Times reporters Jodi Kanto and Megan Twohey, who published a Pulitzer Prize-winning report on the nearly countless sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Weinstein.

Although there is no writer or director on board yet, the film is expected to take its lead from films like “All the President’s Men,” “Spotlight” and “The Post” by focusing less on the crimes of Weinstein and more on the trials and tribulations it took for the expose about him to go public. Kantor and Twohey’s stories helped bring down Weinstein and spark the #MeToo movement, which has seen several men in showbusiness lose their careers over accusations of sexual misconduct.

As Entertainment Tonight notes, Pitt’s involvement in the story is surprising given his history with Weinstein. As previously reported, actress Gwyneth Paltrow was among the slew of women to follow-up the New York Times piece with allegations that Weinstein harassed her. Pitt, who was dating Paltrow at the time, reportedly confronted him at a film premiere and allegedly threatened him, but the incident never went further than that.

There’s currently no script for the film or release date.</s>Brad Pitt is set to produce a film about the Harvey Weinstein investigation.

The 54-year-old Fury star and his production company Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures have acquired the rights to a story focusing on the 66-year-old disgraced film producer.

Specifically, the film will showcase New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey‘s investigation of Harvey’s pattern of sexual misconduct that came to light in October 2017, THR reports.

There are no writers or filmmakers on board yet.

Brad, who has worked with Harvey‘s company on Inglourious Basterds and Killing Them Softly, once confronted him after learning about his sexual misconduct toward Gwyneth Paltrow, whom Brad was dating at the time.</s>Harvey Weinstein is headed back to Hollywood... sort of.

Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, and Annapurna Pictures has purchased the rights to produce a film based on the New York Times' coverage of Harvey Weinstein, E! News can confirm.

In October 2017, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey published the findings of a 10-month investigation into the scorned producer's alleged sexual misconduct. Weinstein has denied the many allegations, which range from harassment to rape, and was fired from his now-bankrupt production company. Kantor and Twohey, along with journalist Ronan Farrow, were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage, which helped spark the #MeToo and Time's Up movements in Hollywood.</s>Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is about to experience the other side of the big screen.

It was just revealed that Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B Entertainment, and Annapurna Pictures have secured the rights to produce a film on the New York Time’s investigation into the decades-long sexual assault allegations against 66-year-old Weinstein that helped kick off the international #MeToo movement last October.

As reported by Variety, the untitled film will tell the story of how Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey broke the news that Weinstein allegedly sexually assaulted and abused women—including prominent actors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Angeline Jolie and Lupita Nyong’o—for decades, and covered his tracks through settlements, threats and non-disclosure agreements (Ronan Farrow also reported on Weinstein for The New Yorker around the same time). Variety says that insider sources stress that “the film will be in the vein of Spotlight and focus on the reporters and their journey to break the case, not Weinstein himself.”

Kantor and Twohey’s groundbreaking investigative work recently earned them a Pulitzer Prize, and the pair are also working on a book about the sexual assault scandals that rocked many industries following the Weinstein allegations.

Pitt, 54, has personal ties to the Weinstein scandal, as the actor was dating Paltrow during the time the Miramax co-founder allegedly made unwanted advances towards her in a hotel room when she was 22. According to reports, Pitt allegedly threatened Weinstein after Paltrow told him about the harassment, and reportedly said to Weinsetin, “You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.”

While there is currently no writer or director signed onto the project, other films produced by Pitt’s company include Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave, so we’re sure this one is going to be incredibly impressive, too.

Related:

 Six Women Take Legal Action Against Harvey Weinstein and His Companies

 These Are the Worst Hollywood Reactions to the Harvey Weinstein Allegations

 The Disturbingly Long List of All the Women Who Have Accused Harvey Weinstein (So Far)</s>Brad Pitt will produce a film of how two journalists exposed the alleged sexual abuses by Harvey Weinstein and helped bring the #MeToo movement into the mainstream.

Pitt’s production company, Plan B, and Annapurna Pictures have obtained the rights to the story of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, who recently won a Pulitzer for their investigate reporting on Weinstein for the New York Times, according to E! News.

The film will center on the “story behind the women who led the investigation itself and will not be about or centered around ‘the man’ or the men behind the abuse. It is about how this team of reporters tracked, chased and broke this story,” according to a spokesperson for Annapurna Pictures.

Kantor and Twohey reported on decades of alleged abuse by Weinstein, who was behind such critical and box office hits like “Shakespeare in Love,” “The King’s Speech” and “Django Unchained.”

Their reporting opened the floodgates as more than 80 women later came forward with accusations against Weinstein, ranging from rape, forcible kissing, insisting on massages while naked and demands to see breasts and asking to watch him masturbate. His accusers include Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Pitt’s ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

Weinstein has denied all the allegations.

Pitt reportedly confronted Weinstein after a young Gwyneth Paltrow, whom Pitt was dating at the time, told him that Weinstein assaulted her during a meeting for the movie 1996 film “Emma.” Paltrow was 22 at the time.

“Brad threatened Harvey,” a source told People. “He got right in his face, poked him in the chest and said, ‘You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.'”

Paltrow went on to work with Weinstein again. He was one for the producers for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love,” for which Paltrow won the Academy Award for best actress.

Pitt also has a long professional history with Weinstein, having working with him on 2009’s “Inglourious Basterds” and 2012’s “Killing Them Softly.”</s>NEW YORK
• Harvey Weinstein made a clutch of Oscar-winning films. Now, the disgraced producer will be the subject of a film - about the accusations of sexual harassment and assault that ended his career and The New York Times team that broke the story.

Brad Pitt's production house Plan B and Annapurna Pictures have acquired the rights to make the film, the Times reported on Thursday.

The movie will chronicle Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey investigating Weinstein's misconduct - stories that recently earned them a Pulitzer Prize, which they shared with Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker.

Producers are looking to Oscar-winning films Spotlight (2015) and All The President's Men (1976) as models for the film, which will focus not on Weinstein's litany of alleged misdeeds but on the journalists and the obstacles they faced while reporting.

Since the Times and New Yorker articles came out last October, more than 100 women have publicly accused Weinstein of misconduct.

Among them is Gwyneth Paltrow.

At the time she said he harassed her, she was dating Pitt, who confronted Weinstein over the incident.</s>Hollywood is getting back in the Harvey Weinstein business from a different angle this time.

Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, has bought the rights to the story of how Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey and the New York Times published their explosive investigation into the movie mogul who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 100 women.

The movie will focus less on Weinstein’s alleged victims and more on the process of telling their tales and “how the reporters faced down threats and intimidation to push through with one of the most important stories of the decade,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The 2015 “Spotlight,” about the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into the child molestation cover-ups within the Catholic Church, was nominated for six Oscars and won for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Pitt, meanwhile, has a long history with Weinstein, including the 2009 “Inglourious Basterds” and the 2012 “Killing Them Softly.”

The 54-year-old actor also dated Gwyneth Paltrow, who claimed Weinstein made unprovoked advances on her when she was just 22, from 1994 to 1997.

“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” Paltrow told the New York Times in October.

After the incident, which Paltrow said she told her boyfriend about at the time, Pitt allegedly approached Weinstein at a party.

‘In the Heights’ creators regain movie rights from Weinstein Co.

“Brad threatened Harvey,” a source previously told People. “He got right in his face, poked him in the chest and said, ‘You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.’”

Kantor and Twohey, the New York Times reporters, recently earned a Pulitzer Prize for their investigation.

Neither a writer nor a filmmaker are currently tied to the movie.
American actor Brad Pitt announces that he will produce a film about the allegations of sexual misconduct against American film producer Harvey Weinstein.