'Amityville Horror' Rights Owners Say Weinstein Co.'s Option on Future Films Has Lapsed

Amityville Horror Enterprises, which owns the rights and IP related to the Amityville Horror House, said in a Delaware bankruptcy court filing on Wednesday that the rights to films and TV shows ba’sed on America’s most haunted house should revert back to the company after The Weinstein Co. failed to meet certain requirements.

Hopefully Lantern Capital, TWC’s stalking horse bidder in bankruptcy, isn’t planning to produce a slew of movies based on the Amityville Horror House.

Amityville Enterprise is insisting that the rights should not be included in the TWC bankruptcy sale. Their argument hinges on the delayed production, and the deferred release of last year’s “Amityville: The Awakening.”

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Under the terms of a 2011 options-purchase agreement, TWC was supposed to start production on another film based on the Amityville Horror House 45 months after principal photography for “Amityville: The Awakening” ended.

The filing claims that principal photography was completed on May 4, 2014 and that the 45-month window closed Feb. 9, 2018, before The Weinstein Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The rights were suppose to revert back to Amityville Enterprise, the court documents state.

In the filing, Amityville Enterprise’s lawyers say: “Through this action, Amityville Enterprises seeks a declaration that the conditions for the automatic reversion of rights under both the Barstu Agreement and the 2011 Agreement occurred and were satisfied before the filing of the Weinstein Company’s bankruptcy petition on March 19, 2018, such that the rights reverted to Amityville Enterprises prior to the petition date, and, accordingly, are not property that can be sold, assigned, or transferred by the Weinstein Company or its bankruptcy estate.”

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Amityville Enterprise isn’t alone in trying to pry an asset from the TWC bankruptcy sale. Notably, the producers of Armie Hammer’s “Hotel Mumbai” said in April they nixed their deal with TWC before the company filed for bankruptcy, and therefore shouldn’t be included in the asset fire sale.

The next scheduled hearing is the bankruptcy auction on May 4.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

11 Film and TV Projects Left in Limbo From Weinstein Company Bankruptcy (Photos)

The bankruptcy of The Weinstein Company leaves a number of interesting projects across film and TV in limbo, some awaiting release and others still in development. What will be their fate?
"The Current War"

After making its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Thomas Edison biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch was originally scheduled for an awards-friendly December 2017 release before getting pushed.
Toronto International Film Festival
"The War With Grandpa"

Starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman and Oakes Fegley, The Weinstein Company unloaded the completed family film to its producers Marro Media Co. for $2.5 million.
Amazon
"The Six Billion Dollar Man"

Mark Wahlberg was set to star in a remake of the '70s TV series starring Lee Majors. The rights to the project directed by Damián Szifron was sold to Warner Bros. for $7.2 million.
Getty Images
"Mary Magdalene"

This Biblical drama directed by "Lion's" Garth Brooks and starring Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ was just released on March 16 in the U.K. by Focus Features.
Focus Features
"The Upside"

"The Upside" is a remake of the French drama "The Intouchables" and stars Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart. It made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was originally scheduled to be released in March.
The Weinstein Company
Untitled David O. Russell Project

Amazon cut ties with The Weinstein Company back in October and canceled a planned series from David O. Russell that was set to star Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore.
"Polaroid"

“Polaroid,” a low-budget horror film from Bob Weinstein’s Dimension Films genre division, is listed in court filings among The Weinstein Company's assets, but it isn't listed as an “unreleased picture.”
Dimension Films
"Fahrenheit 11/9"

Michael Moore's follow up to "Fahrenheit 9/11" concerns the 2016 election of Donald Trump. TWC, which had previously distributed "Fahrenheit 9/11," acquired it in May. The project is still in production.
Getty Images
"Hotel Mumbai"

"Hotel Mumbai" is a thriller starring Armie Hammer and Dev Patel based on a 2009 documentary, "Surviving Mumbai" about the deadly terror attack on the Indian city. The Weinstein Company acquired it in May of 2016.
The Weinstein Company
"Project Runway"

Lifetime sources tell TheWrap that shooting a new season of "Project Runway" is currently up in the air because of TWC's financial and PR problems. Further, Weinstein's estranged wife Georgina Chapman is a judge on a current and upcoming season of "Project Runway: All Stars," both of which were shot prior to the sexual assault allegations becoming public.

Lifetime
"Scream"

The Weinstein Company has a credit on the MTV adaptation of the horror franchise "Scream," with a third, unaired season already completed. It's been over a year since the show aired, and the new season does not have an air date.
MTV

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“The Current War,” “Hotel Mumbai” and “The Upside” are among TWC’s unreleased work

The bankruptcy of The Weinstein Company leaves a number of interesting projects across film and TV in limbo, some awaiting release and others still in development. What will be their fate?

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11 Film and TV Projects Left in Limbo From Weinstein Company Bankruptcy (Photos)

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