IFC Films and Lions Gate Films have agreed to distribute Michael Moore’s The Walt Disney Co.-dropped documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, in U.S. theaters.
Pay TV rights will be handled by Showtime Networks Inc., Lions Gate’s partner.
The film will reach theaters nationwide June 25, the companies said.
Fellowship Adventure Group -- a special-purpose company established by Harvey and Bob Weinstein after Disney refused to let the Weinsteins’ Miramax Film Corp. distribute Moore’s film -- signed on with IFC and Lions Gate after Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The documentary is highly critical of President Bush, and it is expected to be an arts-house box-office hit.
“This is a true coalition,” Harvey and Bob Weinstein said in a press release. “The passion that Lions Gate, IFC Films and Showtime have demonstrated reflects our desire to enable Michael Moore’s extraordinary work to be viewed by as many filmgoers as possible as soon as possible.”
The Weinsteins said they’ve “initiated an alliance with several key industry players” and it is expected that “other names will shortly be added to the coalition as partnerships on other distribution avenues are announced.”
IFC Films is the film-distribution arm of IFC Entertainment, part of Cablevision Systems Corp.’s Rainbow Media Holdings Inc. and a sister entity to cable network The Independent Film Channel.
