More Moves and Uncertainty At Paramount

[Takara_Soong 4]

So many changes at Paramount yet again.

 

In De Line of fire: Par prexy bolts

Uncertainty over future roles for Jacobson, Rosenfelt

By DAVE MCNARY at Variety.com

Posted: Sun., Mar. 27, 2005, 2:34pm PT

 

HOLLYWOOD -- A mere 14 months on the job as Paramount president Donald De Line is exiting the studio in the wake of last week's disclosure that Fox Entertainment prexy Gail Berman was in negotiations to come aboard.

Studio chief Brad Grey's expected to officially announce the appointment of Berman as Par president as early as today.

 

Still to be determined is whether De Line, who was informed of the Berman move while in London on Tuesday, will return to producing and whether he'll be based at Paramount. He was unavailable for comment.

 

Also up in the air: the future roles of current Par co-president Tom Jacobson and prexy of production Karen Rosenfelt.

 

Paramount hasn't finalized the expected move to name Par exec VP Alli Shearmur and Dimension co-president Brad Weston as its co-presidents of production.

 

So with Berman not expected to start work until May, the next few weeks will be a period of uncertainty for the studio and for producers and agents shopping projects.

 

De Line signed a three-year deal in early 2004 to succeed John Goldwyn and oversaw most of the upcoming slate, which includes remakes of "The Longest Yard," "War of the Worlds," "Bad News Bears" and "Last Holiday."

 

Par's other releases include "Sahara," "The Honeymooners," "Hustle & Flow," "Aeon Flux," "Elizabethtown," "Four Brothers," "Charlotte's Web," "The Barnyard" and "The Weatherman."

[HRH The KING 0]

Good.

 

Change was required at Paramount.

[MrPsychic 1]

Maybe the new management will allocated enough resources to Star Trek so that Trek XI is a good movie.

[HRH The KING 0]

I'd prefer Trek XI isn't made, or at least delayed for a long time.

 

But if Paramount are going to proceed, they better do it properly.

[Angela 1]

Perhaps trek will be made, but with more resources and better writers, cause it seems like Trek didn't have enough money to coax good writers aboard.

[HRH The KING 0]

Oh Paramount have enough money.

 

It's just that working under the authority of Rick Berman isn't too appealing for really talented people.

[MrPsychic 1]

EDIT: At least Braga left. I hope Manny Coto isn't completely done with Star Trek. Berman had talent back in TNG days.

Edited March 30, 2005 by MrPsychic

[Odo 0]

Change Is Good.