Princess Mononoke was released theatrically in Japan on July 12, 1997.[35] The film was extremely successful in Japan and with both anime fans and arthouse moviegoers in English-speaking countries. Miramax Films, then a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, purchased the film's distribution rights for North America. Miyazaki met with Harvey Weinstein, Miramax's chairman; Weinstein demanded that edits should be made to Princess Mononoke.[36] In response, Toshio Suzuki sent Weinstein a katana with a message stating "No cuts."[36]