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2004 total: $381.2 million
Top film: "Kill Bill Vol. 2" ($66.2 million)

"It's nice to be No. 1 again," Miramax Films co-head Harvey Weinstein said last month in response to the Golden Globe nominations announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. At the end of a turbulent year, Miramax was back in its customary position atop the awards-seeking pack. Bolstered by six nominations for Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic, "The Aviator," and another five for the Johnny Depp drama "Finding Neverland," Miramax had scored 14 noms -- and also a share in one nomination earned by "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," the Universal Pictures release in which Miramax has an interest. "It's thrilling," Weinstein said. "And at the same time, as important as the creative contributions of all the artists are, the fact is that Miramax's own financial picture couldn't be better." Saying the indie unit, owned by the Walt Disney Co., had closed its books on a profitable 2004, Weinstein predicted an upbeat 2005, insisting, "We have a solid year coming up." The big question, though: Given the contentious relationship between Disney and Harvey and Bob Weinstein, as 2005 unfolds will the Weinsteins remain part of the company they created and named in honor of their parents?

On the screen: Miramax's decision to split Quentin Tarantino's martial arts reverie "Kill Bill" into two parts -- arguably its most daring gambit of 2003 -- continued to pay off in 2004. While "Kill Bill-Vol. 1," released in October 2003, grossed $70 million, the saga's second half, "Kill Bill-Vol. 2," released five months later in April 2004, picked up $66 million to become Miramax's top grosser of the year. The distributor also came up looking like roses when it finally released Zhang Yimou's "Hero," a film that had been sitting on its shelves for nearly two years. Debuting Aug. 27, the movie opened to $18 million and eventually collected $53.6 million domestically. On the other hand, the usually prolific Miramax, facing a budget crunch in the second half of the year, virtually sat out the summer. Further undercutting Miramax's boxoffice muscle was the fact its Dimension genre label, whose franchises such as the "Scream" and "Scary Movie" films usually contribute a big slice to the company's pie, issued just one release, the horror movie "Darkness."

On the lot: The real drama at Miramax occurred offscreen in 2004. With tensions already simmering between the Weinsteins and Disney CEO Michael Eisner, relations hit the boiling point in the spring when Disney insisted Miramax could not release Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which Miramax had been funding. The drama played out over several weeks with Moore, who went on to a triumphant appearance at the Festival de Cannes, where the film won the Palme d'Or, painting the Weinsteins as heroes and Eisner as the villain. Following protracted negotiations, the Weinsteins bought the film back from Miramax and Disney, and after creating a new company, the Fellowship Adventure Group, to oversee its release, they joined forces with Lions Gate and IFC Films to mastermind the documentary's record-breaking $119 million release. Meanwhile, though, difficulties between Miramax and Disney mounted. In August, Miramax laid off 65 employees. Some film releases were put on hold. Also, word spread that Rick Sands, the company's chief operating officer, was eyeing a similar post at DreamWorks. And, as the new year began, Sands officially moved from Miramax to DreamWorks.

Next: Most immediately, Miramax must make its way through awards season. At the top of its consideration lists are "The Aviator," which has earned $35 million to date, and "Finding Neverland," which has picked up nearly $25 million. Handicappers expect both films could figure in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' best-picture race. But the overriding suspense surrounds the future direction of the company. Disney's contract with the Weinsteins expires in the fall. Early speculation that Bob Weinstein would remain to run Dimension for Disney appears to have faded. Now, there are more suggestions the two brothers will leave and raise financing to begin a company of their own. But if that does prove to be the case, negotiating a settlement with Disney -- and determining the fate of films and projects in the pipeline, among other issues -- is no easy matter. And so, the drama continues.