The day James Cameron almost hit Harvey Weinstein with his Oscar

The 70th Academy Awards were held on March 23, 1998 in Los Angeles and were watched by over 57 million people on television. Remember, this was the night Titanic won 11 Oscars – including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Editing. James Cameron, on the other hand, left three statues just for him, in addition to co-producer and director.

Also in the audience was famed Miramax founder and executive Harvey Weinstein, who was still far from being fired for his many crimes. At the time, Weinstein, who is currently serving a 39-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, was a major force in Hollywood, bringing many independent artists into the spotlight. As the head of Miramax, he has since been credited as an executive producer on many of the studio’s films, and has therefore been at the Oscars supporting Jackie Brown, Will Hunting and Wings of the Dove.

A year ago, Harvey Weinstein also produced acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s first English-language feature Mimic, a horror film starring Mira Sorvino about an evolved species of cockroaches living in the New York City subway system that grow to human size and attack residents. . However, during production, the feature film ran into several problems that James Cameron became aware of. A longtime friend of Guillermo del Toro, he didn’t appreciate that Harvey Weinstein, whom he didn’t know, had caused so much concern. And as Slashfilm reports, when Weinstein tried to win an Oscar, James Cameron was ready to punch him.

Behind the scenes at the Oscars

Mimic was produced by Bob Weinstein and Harvey was an executive producer. It was Guillermo del Toro’s second feature film after 1993’s Cronos. The Weinstein brothers hated the film, felt it wasn’t scary enough, and actively tried to fire the director. After that, it took Mira Sorvino’s influence to keep him going. But even after Del Toro returned his film, Miramax took matters into their own hands and recut the featurette as they saw fit. Years later, Guillermo del Toro confided in this terrifying experience.

James Cameron recently recalled the tragedy in front of the Hollywood Reporter. He had never met or worked with Harvey Weinstein at the time and didn’t even know what he looked like. All he knew was that the latter had made life difficult for his friend Guillermo.

“I didn’t know Harvey from Adam. I didn’t know anything about him except what I learned from Guillermo del Toro. Guillermo and I have been friends since 1991. He told me what a terrible fight Miramax got into when he made his first American commercial, Mimic, and they fired him. The actors, led by Mira Sorvino, sort of rebelled and didn’t want to work until they were brought back. Then, when the film was successful and well-received, Harvey quickly received awards for it.“

Nasty little moment

After these events, when Harvey Weinstein tries to approach James Cameron at the Oscars: nothing works.

I’m going back to my chair with my Oscar for Best Editing, and this guy jumps up and introduces himself and says, “If you want, come and work at a place where there’s an artist friend, a filmmaker friend. “- he reaches out, and I left him hanging. It was just a silly little moment. But, yes, I stood up to Guillermo and directed his abuse at Harvey, and then he was very vocally, verbally, and almost potentially physically abusive. And he was going to hit the Oscars – which I think would be very appropriate.

Blinded by anger, James Cameron did not have time to think about the (almost symbolic) meaning of his gesture and remembered being in the strange atmosphere of the school yard.

“I didn’t think of it that way, it was just a weapon at hand. What was hysterical the whole moment was that people around us were like, “Not here! Not here!’ It was kind of like, “It’s okay if you fight in the alley, but don’t do it here at the Oscars!”“

James Cameron surprising Harvey Weinstein in the alley behind the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles (where the Academy Awards were held): Here’s a movie that might rival Titanic, especially if it’s directed by Guillermo del Toro, the expert. Monster stories.

imitating me Available to stream on Canal+ or Paramount+. titanic At the same time, it is discussed on Disney +.