• Los Angeles Times, Thursday, November 16, 2006 11:15 AM

In its latest bid to stave off Netflix, Blockbuster will become the exclusive rental agent for movies made by the Weinstein Co. Under a four-year deal--the first of its kind--the two companies will share in the revenue from rentals from the independent studio.

Blockbuster is betting that the Weinsteins, who have released 21 films in 13 months at their new company, will again produce the kind of acclaimed films and hits they had at Walt Disney-owned Miramax Films. Some of their successes include Oscar winners "The English Patient" and "Shakespeare in Love," and the "Scary Movie" and "Scream" franchises.

The deal does not include the sale of DVDs, which is the biggest part of the market. And some industry executives also questioned how the deal's exclusivity could be maintained, since video renters might be able to obtain the DVDs from third parties.

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