There’s just one hitch in Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s pending deal to buy Miramax Films from Walt Disney Co.: Under the transaction currently being discussed, the brothers wouldn’t necessarily be the ones who come away owning the storied independent film company.
Instead, their backers, led by billionaire Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos., would fill that role. The Weinsteins, either as individuals or through their Weinstein Co. studio, would manage the library in exchange for fees.
The deal would still give the brothers a key role in overseeing the company they founded in 1979 and sold to Disney in 1993. They could also gain access to some of their storied franchises. But even that arrangement is a far cry from outright ownership.
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