hollywoodreporter: Fahrenheit's impact goes way beyond boxoffice

'Fahrenheit' impact goes way beyond boxoffice: "'Fahrenheit' focus: As Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' heads towards $100 million domestically, there's no question that it's impacting on Hollywood way beyond the boxoffice.

Clearly, 'Fahrenheit's' success is reshaping the independent film distribution business. To begin with, Disney's battle with Miramax over releasing the documentary may well culminate in Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein leaving to start or take over another company. Should that happen it would change the entire landscape of specialized distribution by adding to the mix a new well funded independent distributor headed by the most aggressive studio executive Hollywood has seen since the days of the original movie moguls.

On top of all this, Hollywood can also thank "Fahrenheit" for turning controversial documentaries into the industry's hottest new genre. Suddenly, documentaries have overcome decades of being the town's dull stepchildren and have emerged as an exciting and very profitable genre. It's already evident in this week's headlines about "Outfoxed," Robert Greenwald's politically controversial documentary bashing the Fox News Channel, and "Inside Deep Throat," Brian Grazer's sexually candid documentary focusing on the 1972 porn classic starring Linda Lovelace.

Before long, every studio is going to be developing them. That could lead to some interesting situations. Imagine, for instance, what "Fahrenheit" would be like if it had been developed by a committee?"



By Martin A. Grove