LOS ANGELES - Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is taking no chances.

Facing a challenge over what The New York Times and The New Yorker may reveal about him in upcoming stories, he has reportedly hired a team of lawyers and crisis managers.

Industry talk has it that the stories could focus on sexual allegations and abusive behaviour at work.

Weinstein, 65, has produced or executive produced many Oscar-nominated films, including Pulp Fiction (1994), The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings (2001) and Gangs Of New York (2002).

His treatment of employees was described as bullying in a 2004 book by Peter Biskind.

In 2012, when Time named Weinstein one of The World's Most 100 Influential People, Johnny Depp wrote: "He can be your most frightening nightmare and your closest friend. He is a producer."

Asked by the Hollywood Reporter what he thought about the situation he was in, Weinstein said: "The story sounds so good, I want to buy the movie rights."