The announcement of the filing marks the latest turn in a stunning fall for the prestigious indie studio responsible for many award-winning films, but now embroiled in a transformative controversy thanks to several dozen women who have come forward in recent months to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of rampant sexual misconduct. Weinstein Co said in a statement it entered into a “stalking horse” agreement with a Lantern Capital affiliate, that would purchase substantially all of the assets of the company. Statement from the board says move is a step towards justice for victims ‘silenced by Harvey Weinstein’ 
 
 US film and TV studio The Weinstein Company, whose ex-chairman Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, said on Monday it has filed for bankruptcy with an offer from an affiliate of private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners to acquire its assets. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp had made an earlier offer for some of the company’s assets, as had Qatar-owned film company Miramax, which was founded by Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein. The bankruptcy filing for the producer of such films as Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained and Lion and television fare including Project Runway comes after TWC pursued a sale outside of the bankruptcy process to save the jobs of some 150 individuals and salvage some of its reputation. The company inked a deal with an investor group led by former Obama administration official Maria Contreras-Sweet, but the group terminated its offer earlier this month after seeing that the company had more liabilities than previously disclosed. Your voices have inspired a movement for change across the country and around the world.” 
 
 The step had long been sought by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who filed a lawsuit against the company last month on behalf of its employees. The prospect was enough that in advance of the bankruptcy, Schneiderman's office urged TWC management to release employees from non-disclosure agreements. Ellen Barkin tweets accusation against Terry Gilliam after director's #MeToo comments Read more 
 
 “No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet.
– The Weinstein Company has filed for bankruptcy—a move that could bring yet more sexual misconduct allegations against co-founder Harvey Weinstein to the surface. The movie and TV studio says that as part of the filing, all employees will be released from nondisclosure agreements. "Today, the Company also takes an important step toward justice for any victims who have been silenced by Harvey Weinstein," the company said in a statement, per the Guardian. "Since October, it has been reported that Harvey Weinstein used nondisclosure agreements as a secret weapon to silence his accusers. Effective immediately, those 'agreements' end." The statement thanked those "courageous individuals who have already come forward." The Lantern Capital Partners private equity group has entered an agreement to buy the company's assets, but other companies will be able to bid at auction, the Hollywood Reporter notes. An earlier attempt to buy the company collapsed after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against the company last month, then collapsed again earlier this month amid debt issues. The New York Daily News reports that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered Schneiderman to investigate whether Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. properly handled allegations against Weinstein in 2015. "It is of great concern that sexual assault cases have not been pursued with full vigor by our criminal justice system," the governor said Monday.