Veteran actor Forest Whitaker has sounded off about Weistein Co.’s decision to send his movie straight to DVD.
Hurricane Season, which co-stars Lil’ Wayne, Bow Wow, Isaiah Washington, Taraji P. Henson and Michael Gaston is a film based on the inspirational story of a New Orleans high school basketball coach whose team of cast-off kids wins the state championship.
Although the film was packed with heavyweights both in the acting and Hip-Hop world, it wasn’t enough for the Weinsteins to send to the theatres.
According to the movie house, the film “didn’t test well” during the screening process, which aided in the decision to go straight to video.
Whitaker, who is currently filming a biopic about famed Jazz musician Louis Armstrong, is not appeased by the reasoning and had some very milled words to say about the decision.
“I think that was a travesty. It’s not just about me, the fact that they didn’t do what they said they were going to do is amazing to me. I think that is the modus operandi. But a lot of people are telling me they saw the video on DVD and really responded to it and don’t understand why it wasn’t released and I say, ‘You’ll have to talk to the Weinsteins [about that], I can’t help you.”
Fans have had a chance to see the movie outside of the screening due to the movie being leaked in December of 2009. Whether the bootlegging ultimately played a part in the Weinstein’s decision to release the film straight to DVD is unclear, but what seems to be very clear is the fact that the decision surprised everyone who was involved.
Bow Wow tweeted the following in response to the decision:
“Ay but thanks for yall liking the film. just wish yall had the chance to experience it the way you have all my other movies.”
This is hardly the only Weinstein project that, thanks to the company’s financial woes, has ended up going straight to video, but it’s a movie that deserved better.
Hurricane Season is in stores now. Peep some footage from the flick below:
