DENZEL WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON CALLS MOTHERS TO THE PHONE OVER WEINSTEIN DISPUTE

DENZEL WASHINGTON was so locked in financial negotiations with producer HARVEY WEINSTEIN over new film THE GREAT DEBATERS, he created a summit meeting for the moguls' mums. The actor initially refused to appear in the film he was directing, prompting Weinstein to offer just half the money he needed to finance the film. And the actor grew so tired of the producer, he suggested their mothers should sort the issue out. Washington reveals, "I said, `I'm going to have my mother call your mother and let the two of them talk - maybe they can work out a deal, because you and I can't work out a deal.' "He gave me the number and I called my mom and said, `Ma, I know you don't know who Harvey Weinstein is but he and I are going back and forth and why don't you give his mother a call and see what you guys can come up with.'" Washington's mother made the call and Weinstein soon came back with a new offer. The actor says, "That's my new agent - and my mother won't tell me what they talked about."