Hulu, Miramax deal means Netflix, Hulu Plus both add Pulp Fiction and more starting today
According to a blog post and press release (after the break) Hulu is bringing Miramax films to its free and paid Hulu Plus services. This is also the same day the Miramax deal kicks in for Netflix, so both just added notable movies including Clerks, Swingers, Basquiat, The Crow and Reservoir Dogs. Miramax movies on Hulu Plus are presented ad-free and in HD, just like on Netflix Watch Instantly, and both appear to have the same selection available, although one negative side effect of parity is that neither has optional closed captions on streaming for any of them. The only difference so far? Soon, Hulu will offer a rotation of 15 Miramax movies per month through Hulu.com for ad-supported viewing. While we're sure some will wait for Miramax to work through its Blu-ray release backlog (CEO Mike Lang is on it, although we still don't have a date for Pulp Fiction) it's good to suddenly see a catalog that had been locked away due to the studio's pending sale suddenly become available through so many outlets.
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MIRAMAX AND HULU ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT
Deal Includes Hundreds of Popular, Critically-Acclaimed Films Like Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, Scream, Swingers and The English Patient, Available For Streaming on Both Hulu Plus and Hulu
LOS ANGELES and SANTA MONICA, CA – (June 1, 2011) – Hulu and Miramax today announced a multi-year agreement to bring hundreds of popular, critically-acclaimed films like Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, Scream, Swingers and The English Patient from the Miramax film library to Hulu Plus subscribers. In addition, Hulu will offer select films via the ad-supported Hulu service.
Launching today, Hulu Plus subscribers will be able to watch hundreds of Miramax movies in HD (when available), on multiple platforms, including TV, tablet, computer and mobile phones, and free of advertising interruption. Additionally, Hulu will soon rotate a selection of approximately 15 Miramax films each month through Hulu.com with periodic ad breaks, the first time Miramax titles have become available through an ad-supported streaming service.
"Making our films available via premium digital distribution channels is extremely important to Miramax," said Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax. "Hulu has established its presence in the market as a leader in innovation and in delivering value for consumers and content owners. As one of the early promoters of Hulu and its CEO Jason Kilar, I couldn't be more excited than to be in business with them today, and we're thrilled about the prospect of enhancing both our brands by making our films accessible to Hulu's fast-growing audience."
"The Miramax library includes some of the most popular and acclaimed films ever produced," said Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu. "It is an honor for the Hulu team to present our users a film roster that includes the likes of Pulp Fiction, My Left Foot, The English Patient and many more."
Miramax has an incredibly deep library of fantastic titles for every type of movie fan. With this agreement, cinemaphiles interested in Academy Award™ winning dramas can now watch Good Will Hunting, The Piano and My Left Foot. Fans of iconic cult classics will see Chasing Amy, Clerks, Swingers, Sling Blade, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Crying Game, Strictly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding and Reservoir Dogs. Foreign film fans can watch Amelie, Life is Beautiful and Cinema Paradiso. Horror buffs can enjoy many of the Halloween, Scary Movie, Scream and Hellraiser titles. And the Spy Kids films will make for a great family movie night.
About Miramax
Miramax is a leading worldwide film and television studio with a library of more than 700 motion pictures. Miramax sells directly and licenses its titles globally through strategic partnerships with Lionsgate, Studiocanal and most recently Netflix. The company has three new releases in 2011: The Debt, starring Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington; the Guillermo del Toro-produced Don't be Afraid of the Dark, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce; and Last Night, starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington and Eva Mendes. The Miramax library holds some of the world's most original and acclaimed independent films including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare In Love, Chicago, Good Will Hunting, The English Patient, No Country for Old Men, Kill Bill Volumes I and II, Life is Beautiful, Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Cinema Paradiso and My Left Foot - as well as scores of commercially successful films such as Bridget Jones's Diary, Bad Santa, and the Scream, Hellraiser, Scary Movie and Spy Kids franchises. Collectively, the Miramax library has received 284 Academy Award nominations and 68 Oscars, including four Best Picture Awards. Miramax is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. For more information, please visit www.miramax.com
About Hulu
Hulu is an online TV service whose mission is to help people find and enjoy the world's premium content when, where and how they want it. As we pursue this mission, we aspire to create a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love. Hulu was founded in 2007 and is operated independently by a dedicated team with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Beijing. NBC Universal, News Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Providence Equity Partners, and the Hulu team share in the ownership of the company. (www.hulu.com)
