Miranda is seeking to ban producers from selling off the rights to the firm's new buyers and have a judge declare him as the musical's lawful rights owner.
- May 12, 2018
AceShowbiz - Lin-Manuel Miranda is seeking to bar bosses at The Weinstein Company from selling the rights to his first musical during their bankruptcy proceedings. The "Hamilton" star previously entered into an agreement with TWC executives to have them option the rights to "In the Heights" to produce a remake of the stage production and a movie.
According to TheBlast.com, in May 2017, bosses at TWC exercised the option to develop the film, but the agreement stated the project would have to go into principal production within nine months and if it didn't, the rights would go back to Miranda.
In February, after the deadline passed, Miranda contacted TWC officials to reclaim his work, but his messages were reportedly ignored. It has since emerged "In the Heights" is one of the projects included in the production company's bankruptcy filings, and Miranda is now seeking to ban producers from selling off the rights to the firm's new buyers and have a judge declare him as the musical's lawful rights owner.
TWC executives filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, following numerous accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against company co-founder Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, but he was forced out as a board member of the production company last year.
TWC has since been bought by private equity firm Lantern Capital.
