Princess Mononoke and Harvey Weinstein

When Harvey Weinstein wanted to edit Princess Mononoke to make it more marketable, the director Hayao Miyazaki sent him a katana with a simple message: “No cuts.“ While there were some disputes and discussions regarding the North American distribution of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Princess Mononoke,“ the story about Miyazaki sending Harvey Weinstein a katana with the message “No cuts“ is a popular anecdote that has been widely circulated. However, the exact details of this exchange have been a subject of debate and might be somewhat exaggerated. What is known is that when Miramax, which was headed by Harvey Weinstein at the time, acquired the rights to distribute “Princess Mononoke“ in North America, there were concerns about the film’s length and its potential appeal to Western audiences. Harvey Weinstein reportedly considered editing the film to make it more marketable. Hayao Miyazaki, known for his strong creative vision and reluctance to h