Harvey Weinstein Says He Can't Continue To Make Violent Movies

Harvey Weinstein Says He Can't Continue To Make Violent Movies
Harvey Weinstein, center, and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, third left, watch the Marchesa Spring 2014 collection during Fashion Week in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Harvey Weinstein, center, and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, third left, watch the Marchesa Spring 2014 collection during Fashion Week in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

One day after announcing plans to make a movie that takes on the National Rifle Association "head on," Harvey Weinstein told CNN host Piers Morgan that he will also look to change the output from his studio, The Weinstein Company.

"You have to look in the mirror too," Weinstein told Morgan when the host brought up violent films that TWC has released, including Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained." "I have to choose movies that aren't violent, or as violent as they used to be. For me, personally, I can't continue to do that. The change starts here."

Weinstein went on to say that he "can't make one movie and say this is what I want for my kids, and then go out and be a hypocrite." He cited "Lone Survivor" as an example of a violent movie that he would produce, however, noting that it was "a tribute to the United States Special Forces."

"I'm not going to make some crazy action movie just to blow up people and exploit people and make some crazy action movie," he said.

It bears noting that Weinstein has released every Tarantino movie since "Pulp Fiction." When Deadline.com reported on Tarantino's new project, a Western that may be called "The Hateful Eight," editor Mike Fleming wrote that it was likely The Weinstein Company would be involved:

Tarantino likely has several months left to hammer out the shooting script so nothing gets finalized until then. At that point, Harvey Weinstein gets involved in funding it, most likely with a partner for foreign territories.

Tarantino was scrutinized for the portrayal of gun violence in "Django Unchained," his violent revenge film set during the Civil War, which was released 11 days after the murders of 26 people (including 20 children) at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"I think it's disrespectful to their memory, actually ... to talk about movies,” Tarantino said to NPR host Terry Gross during an interview in January of 2013 when asked about the connection between gun violence and movies. “Obviously, the issue is gun control and mental health. [...] I've been asked this question for 20 years -- about the effects of violence in movies related to violence in real life. My answer is the same 20 years ago. It hasn't changed one iota. Obviously, I don't think one has to do with the other."

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