'Fanboys' May Get Feature Release!
Leave it to a pack of geeks to coin the name 'Darth Weinstein' for the co-chairman of the Weinstein Co. during bicoastal protests at opening screenings of the studio?s latest flick, Superhero Movie. According to Hollywood Reporter.com, Weinstein has responded to the widespread tension of fans protesting unnecessary changes and delayed release of the hotly anticipated film Fanboys by announcing on Monday that the studio plans to release two versions of the film on DVD, and is exploring two theatrical versions as well. But Fanboys producer Kevin Mann said that their intentions aren?t what they seem. "This is more about avoiding picket lines at 'Superhero' than it was about making a decision about the release of our movie," said Mann?which, as a side note, confirms that even when fanboys get exactly what they want, it?s still really just not good enough!
For the uninitiated, Fanboys is about four diehard Star Wars fans who break into George Lucas? Skywalker Ranch in order to see The Phantom Menace on the eve of its release. The film originally had a subplot about one of the characters facing cancer?the whole reason the friends take the cross-country trip in the first place. Of course after the Weinsteins picked up the project in 2005, they ordered reshoots of several scenes, removing the cancer subplot, and claiming the original film was not marketable enough. But real-life fanboys must love their cancer, because Star Wars fans, led by fan group 501st Legion have united to create a website, Committed.to/stopdarthweinstein, outwardly opposing the non-cancer version and supporting the discourse of the original filmmakers.
"The original reason we wanted to get involved with this script was because it was a comedy with heart," Mann said. "In my opinion, when the cancer was taken out, the heart went with it."
