Steven Spielberg’s hilariously timed decision to split from Paramount and take DreamWorks independent last year continues to create problems today — the Times’s ArtsBeat blog reports that negotiations with Universal have fallen through and DW is now in “advanced talks†with Disney to distribute its films. According to Vulture buddy Nikki Finke, the breakdown with Universal was due to DW upping its demands to include cash (the studio needs to raise $750 million in loans to complete its deal with India-based Reliance) in addition to simply a distribution deal. Finke also says that, to raise the money, Disney would likely need to sell off Miramax (though who knows who might actually buy it). Or, we suppose Spielberg himself could just write his second-ever check.
DreamWorks in Talks to Move to Disney [ArtsBeat/NYT]
SHOWBIZ SHOCKER! EXCLUSIVE DETAILS! DreamWorks Desperately Seeking $$: Secretly Tries To Make Disney Play But Loses Universal Deal In The Process [DHD]