Rights
The film was a production of Universal Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment. Castle Rock led the production process and Universal participated in financing and distribution. Universal distributed the film outside the U.S., and Columbia Pictures distributed it domestically under its distribution contract with Castle Rock that existed between 1987 and 1999. After Time Warner's acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System (which owned Castle Rock), the film became part of the Turner Entertainment library under WB. However, in terms of domestic distribution, Warner Bros. is responsible for sales and distribution. Universal has maintained international (i.e. outside of the U.S.) rights for the life of the film.
Originally, actor Robert Redford approached a number of screenwriters with the single-line premise, "the president elopes." Sorkin's treatment was selected by Redford to write the screenplay with the expectation that Redford would star. When Reiner was brought aboard to direct, however, Redford dropped out. At the time, his publicist attributed Redford's decision to his desire "to do a love story, but (Reiner) wanted to do something that was ultimately about politics." Other sources suggested that Redford and Reiner "didn't get along, . . . It was a personality thing."
Redford's production company, Wildwood Enterprises, continued to have a production credit on the film.
Read more about this topic: The American President
Famous quotes containing the word rights:
“Anglo-Saxon civilization has taught the individual to protect his own rights; American civilization will teach him to respect the rights of others.”
—William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925)
“...at this stage in the advancement of women the best policy for them is not to talk much about the abstract principles of women’s rights but to do good work in any job they get, better work if possible than their male colleagues.”
—Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (1877–1965)
“The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for, not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given control of the property interests of the country.”
—George Baer (1842–1914)