Disney Is Expected to Sell ‘9/11’ Film to Weinsteins

Walt Disney Co. is finalizing a deal to sell Michael Moore’s documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” to Harvey and Bob Weinstein.

In an unusual move, Disney will allow the Weinsteins, co-chairmen of its subsidiary Miramax Films -- which financed the film -- to buy the project for $5 million to $6 million, about the amount Miramax has spent on the property.

“Whatever current interests Miramax has in the film would be acquired by Bob and Harvey personally,” Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha said.

The Weinsteins plan to enlist a third party to distribute it, a Miramax executive said.

The first official screening of the film will take place Monday night at the Cannes Film Festival, where bidding among distributors is expected to be fierce.

Possible candidates include Lions Gate, which released the Kevin Smith comedy “Dogma” after Disney barred Miramax from distributing it.

The pending agreement would put to rest the latest contretemps between Disney and its fiery subsidiary, Miramax.

Last spring, Miramax purchased the Moore documentary, a seriocomic look at the Sept. 11 attacks and the war in Iraq, and was informed by Disney Chairman Michael Eisner that the company would be barred from releasing the film.

The decision was reaffirmed last week. At the time, Eisner said Disney was a nonpartisan company that didn’t take sides.