Online giant Google is said to be engaged in talks with the would-be owners of Miramax studios, hoping to break a deal that could see the company gain digital rights to the studio’s archives.
As reported by the NY Post, Google is apparently looking into the studio’s movie rights with the intention to repurpose YouTube as a web destination for longer content – ie, streaming online movies.
Disney dollars
In 1993, Miramax was acquired by The Walt Disney Company and Disney has apparently sealed a deal to sell Miramax to Filmyard for an estimated US$664m, which would make a sale to Google unusual.
A Google spokesperson revealed: “We’re always talking to the studios about different things and Disney remains a valuable YouTube partner. Outside of that, we don’t comment on rumour or speculation.”
The sale, which includes the rights to than 700 films, such as The Queen, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and No Country For Old Men, as well as the Miramax name, is expected to close by 10 December.
