Last December, as the film’s buzz intensified, Weinstein and his executives canceled their vacations to design a new campaign. To boost “The Postman’s” Oscar prospects and broaden its audience, Miramax says, it has spent $2.5 million since January. In fact, NEWSWEEK has learned, Miramax spent $6 million–and an additional $1 million targeting Academy voters, buying more ads in Variety than any other studio.
The payoff has begun. Last month “The Postman” was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. Now everyone seems to know the sad story of how star Massimo Troisi died of heart failure 12 hours after the movie wrapped. Having made $15 million in the United States, “The Postman” should become the biggest-grossing foreign-language film ever. Overseas it’s made $40 million. Not bad for a $4 million film. And not bad for Miramax: it paid $1.5 million for worldwide distribution rights.
