Hedge fund mulls throwing Weinstein Co. a $35M lifeline

The Weinstein Co. may soon be turning the page to Chapter 11.

Sources close to the embattled Hollywood studio co-founded by Harvey Weinstein said Thursday that a deep-pocketed hedge fund will decide early next week whether to throw it a lifeline — or possibly let it file for bankruptcy.

In addition to a $35 million bridge loan that would save the Weinstein Co. from going under, Fortress Investment Group is considering extending a debtor-in-possession loan in a prospective bankruptcy scenario, a source close to the situation said.

Deadline.com reported Wednesday that Fortress, an investment firm, was on “the 1-yard line” about providing a loan that would keep Weinstein Co. afloat through the rest of the year.

Other sources, however, called that characterization overly optimistic, with one asserting to The Post that a deal wasn’t even yet within field-goal range.

On Wednesday, the Weinstein Co.’s exclusive talks to sell part or all of its business to Colony Capital, the fund controlled by billionaire Trump backer Thomas Barrack, ended without a deal.

Sources note the Weinstein Co. was in bad financial shape well before last month, when co-founder Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment and worse by dozens of women.

Those accusations played a big role in the breakdown of talks with Colony. Although Harvey Weinstein has been booted from the company, his 23 percent stake in the studio could deliver substantial profits should it be sold.

“No one is interested in salvaging a company which would benefit Harvey,” Barrack said on Bloomberg TV.

Aside from bad publicity, any pre-bankruptcy buyer of the Weinstein Co. could face contingent liabilities from lawsuits filed by alleged victims of Weinstein during his 12-year reign.

But the same buyer could avoid all or most of those liabilities, sources said, by waiting until the Weinstein Co. seeks bankruptcy protection.