Harvey Weinstein denies blacklisting Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino after Peter Jackson’s claim | Hollywood - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Harvey Weinstein denies blacklisting Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino after Peter Jackson’s claim

Reuters, Los Angeles | By
Dec 16, 2017 10:23 AM IST

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said in an interview how he had expressed interest in casting Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino in the movie. However, Weinstein’s Miramax told him “they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs”.

Harvey Weinstein on Friday denied barring actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino from working on the movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings or blacklisting them from further projects.

(File) More than 50 women, including Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.(Vince Bucci/Invision/AP)
(File) More than 50 women, including Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.(Vince Bucci/Invision/AP)

Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment by more than 50 women, including Judd and Sorvino, was responding to remarks by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Reuters is unable to independently confirm the misconduct allegations and Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

In an interview with New Zealand website Stuff on Thursday, Jackson said he expressed interest in casting Judd and Sorvino in the movie while pitching the project to Weinstein’s production company Miramax.

“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998,” Jackson said.

(File) Peter Jackson was speaking to a New Zealand website Stuff when he said how he is now realizing that Harvey Weinstein’s advice to avoid working with Mira Sorvino or Ashley Judd was likely part of a smear campaign against the two actresses. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
(File) Peter Jackson was speaking to a New Zealand website Stuff when he said how he is now realizing that Harvey Weinstein’s advice to avoid working with Mira Sorvino or Ashley Judd was likely part of a smear campaign against the two actresses. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

“At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us... I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women -- and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list,” he added.

The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy later went to New Line Cinema and released in 2001.

Weinstein’s spokeswoman Holly Baird said in a statement that Harvey and his bother Bob “had no input into the casting whatsoever” on “Lord of the Rings”.

The statement said that Judd was subsequently cast by Weinstein in two other movies -- Frida and Crossing Over.

It added that Sorvino called Weinstein earlier this year to ask if her husband, actor Christopher Backus, could be cast in the TV series Six that he was producing “and Mr. Weinstein cast him”.

Judd, responding on Twitter on Friday, recalled having detailed talks with Jackson about Lord of the Rings but “then I abruptly never heard from him again”.

Sorvino said on Twitter that she “burst out crying” when she read Jackson’s remarks, calling them “confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure”.

Representatives for the two actresses did not respond on Friday to a request for further comment.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On