Harvey Weinstein is said to be furious at Quentin Tarantino for going to an anti-police rally on Oct. 24 and calling cops “murderers.”
With police groups now calling for a boycott of the director’s “The Hateful Eight,” sources say Weinstein wants Tarantino to apologize, or at least walk back his comments.
“The last thing Harvey needs is a boycott that will scare off Oscar voters and hurt the box office,” said one insider.
The movie is set to open on Christmas Day, just in time to qualify for the Academy Awards.
The politically active Weinstein, a staunch Democrat, has produced many of Tarantino’s movies since “Pulp Fiction” in 1994, and Weinstein has referred to his distribution company Miramax as “the house that Quentin built.”
Weinstein was said to be considering conciliatory moves, such as special screenings of “The Hateful Eight” for police officers and their families.
“Harvey is desperate to find a solution,” said my source. “He’s angry that Tarantino needlessly created a controversy that has nothing to do with the movie. It’s so pointless and unnecessary.” And bad for business.
But a source close to Weinstein told me, “They’ve been friends forever. He knows Quentin is passionate and will speak for himself.” But the backlash continues to grow.