Miramax Captures Osbournes on Video and DVD

[J.A.F._Doorhof]

Company Acquires Worldwide Video Rights To First and Second Years of the Hit MTV Series
NEW YORK, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Miramax Films and The Osbournes are proud to announce an agreement for worldwide DVD and video distribution of the first and second seasons of "The Osbournes," the innovative, hit MTV reality-based comedy series featuring Ozzy Osbourne and his unconventional family. The announcement was made today by Sharon Osbourne and Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein.

Cable television's highest rated series, "The Osbournes" is a reality show which allows MTV cameras to follow the colorful family over several months -- at home and on the road, documenting the ups, downs, highs, lows, and the just plain bizarre for viewers.

"As soon as I discussed this project with Harvey, I knew that Miramax was the right home for "The Osbournes," said Sharon Osbourne. "With the marketing plans for the DVD and video, it just had to be bleeping Miramax."

"The Osbournes have the perfect mix of family, music and drama we've always appreciated here at MMX," said Harvey Weinstein. "The show's incredible following, never-before-seen footage and other DVD extras will make 'The Osbournes' a key addition to Miramax's family of DVD and video hits."

The DVD of the first season is expected to be released in late fall 2002.

Charles Layton, executive vice president, office of the co-chairman, Steve Hutensky, evp of business affairs, and Barry Littman, vice president of Business and legal affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of Miramax. Larry Shire, Paul Schindler and Karen Gottlieb of Grubman, Indursky & Schindler, and Colin Newman, the Osbornes' business manager, negotiated on behalf of the family.

Other highly anticipated upcoming video and DVD releases from the Miramax vault include collector's editions of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," (August 20,2002) and "Jackie Brown," (August 20,2002) and The Beatles' "Hard Day's Night" (September 24, 2002) along with "Amelie" and "In the Bedroom." These releases follow recent Miramax DVD and video hits like Dimension Films' "The Others" (Miramax's highest grossing DVD) "Bridget Jones' Diary", Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy", "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Good Will Hunting," the highest grossing DVD/video in company history.