New path for Paramount
Berman mastering the ropes in year at Paramount
June 23, 2006
It has been 13 months since Gail Berman took the reins as president of Paramount Pictures -- a turbulent period that saw the former Fox Broadcasting Co. entertainment president face repeated criticism over her lack of big-screen experience. But with last weekend's better-than-expected $28 million opening of her first true go picture, the Jared Hess-helmed Jack Black starrer "Nacho Libre," Berman finally was ready to exhale.
"It's been an amazing year," she said in an interview at her elegant studio office in Hollywood, accompanied by her production lieutenants Alli Shearmur and Brad Weston. "At the end of the day, when 'Nacho' opened this weekend, I had a pretty good feeling: All right, we can make a movie here."
In fact, the idiosyncratic Nickelodeon movie exhibits an unmistakable Berman stamp because she engaged the project from the start with writer-producer Mike White, with whom she had worked at Fox.
Budgeted at $35 million, the quirky "Nacho" also provides a glimpse into the direction that Paramount is moving. Along with John Lesher's prolific Paramount Vantage specialty shingle, which has eight films scheduled for release, the new Melrose Avenue regime is moving forward decisively with an emphasis on smaller projects rather than big-budget pictures.
"It's a learning curve every day," said Berman, who has mounted a familiar-looking chart of all the competing movie releases on the wall of the conference room she shares with studio operations officer Rob Moore. "I spent a year meeting new people every day. As a life experience, it will never be equaled."
Under a directive that Viacom president and CEO Tom Freston gave Paramount chairman Brad Grey to rebuild the studio's cultural DNA, Berman and her team began by throwing out much of the studio's development. Said Berman, "We put together what we think is an original fresh slate."
Paramount's acquisition of DreamWorks also has added eight DreamWorks live-action and two DreamWorks Animation pictures to Paramount's annual lineup, which "takes some of the pressure off of putting out a big slate," she said.
With 11 greenlighted films under her belt, Berman's 2007 lineup is diverse, modest-scaled and aimed at a global audience. The films include Kimberly Peirce's $30 million sophomore effort, "Stop-Loss," starring Ryan Phillippe; producer Judd Apatow's $40 million comedy "Drillbit Taylor," starring Owen Wilson; and the ribald comedy "Hot Rod," which "Saturday Night Live" shorts director Akiva Schaffer will shoot for less than $25 million.
Several small-scale projects that initially were set up at Paramount moved to Lesher's division, including the $9 million Sundance pickup "Hustle & Flow." Craig Brewer's $15 million "Black Snake Moan," starring Samuel Jackson, also was added to Vantage's release slate, as was White's directorial debut, "Year of the Dog," starring Molly Shannon, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's $25 million "Babel," starring Brad Pitt.
"Babel" is just one of several smart, adult-oriented movies that could prove to be Oscar contenders, Berman said. She also cited Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage, which the studio bought as a go picture in turnaround from Universal Pictures, and MTV Films' teacher-in-the-ghetto high school drama "Freedom Writers," directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank. "Paramount has not been where the awards have been," Berman said. "It's important come award season that we're competitive."
Along those lines, Berman is ardently pursuing two Scott Rudin productions: Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," which Stephen Daldry will direct, and a big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Frazen's best-seller "The Corrections," which Inarritu is in talks to helm. The Mexican director is quickly shaping up as a studio favorite as he also is attached to helm "Life and Def," a biopic of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.
On "Nacho," Berman and Shearmur forged an effective relationship with Nickelodeon chief Julia Pistor, who is overseeing the upcoming family films "Barnyard" and "Charlotte's Web" and expects to proceed shortly on the potential family franchise "The Spiderwick Chronicles." And MTV Films will contribute the easy-call $10 million sequel "Jackass 2," among others. Paramount ideally wants three pictures a year each from Nick and MTV.
Getting to a start date on supersized tentpole projects has proved more challenging for Grey and Berman, who lack experience in the delicate art of assembling big-talent packages and seem less willing to throw their capital around than their studio counterparts. "There's nothing remotely cavalier about backing a movie that costs $140 million-$150 million," Berman said.
Co-productions have made it easier. Paramount has teamed with DreamWorks on the $150 million "Transformers," which is filming for a July 4, 2007, release, and it has two partnerships with Warner Bros. Pictures: David Fincher's serial-killer thriller "Zodiac" and Robert Zemeckis' $150 million performance-capture flick "Beowulf."
In her zeal to bring back to life the dormant "Star Trek," Berman has turned to "Mission: Impossible III" director J.J. Abrams, who will work with "Lost" writer Damon Lindelof and the "Transformers" team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurztman. Berman also is anxious for David Koepp to deliver his script for "Indiana Jones 4," which Steven Spielberg might direct for producer George Lucas.
As the studio continues to reinvent itself, Grey faces the looming expiration of Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's Paramount-based producing deal. C/W Prods. will be a free agent as of Aug. 31, if it doesn't re-up with the studio. Berman and Wagner both confirmed that the sides are in discussions. A possible Cruise defection could have profound implications for the studio, as C/W Prods. has provided Paramount with a steady stream of boxoffice hits. Without Cruise, Paramount would be left with Pitt as its sole movie star with a producing deal.
Berman said that keeping Cruise -- the industry's most reliable earner, albeit an increasingly controversial figure -- on the Melrose lot is a high priority. "Any time that I can find a way to be in business with Tom again, I will be right there at the front of the line. He hasn't disappointed yet," she said. But "M:I-3," which has earned more than $334 million worldwide, did fall short domestically, grossing $130 million. In retrospect, Grey's decision to trim the film's budget to $150 million and adjust gross-participation deals proved to be one of his savviest moves as studio chief.
In another indication of the studio's mind-set, Paramount allowed two big-budget Tom Clancy projects to slip away when it put "Without Remorse," which had John Singleton on board to direct, and "Rainbow Six" into turnaround. The studio still plans to restart Clancy's Jack Ryan franchise with a younger, new star, though.
The move likely cost Paramount its relationship with Singleton, who promptly signed a five-picture domestic distribution deal with Universal. But producer Stephanie Allain, who has worked with Singleton on several films, said the relationship between the studio and the "Four Brothers" helmer remains undamaged and that Singleton still owes the studio two small films that he would produce on his original "Hustle" deal.
Meanwhile, producers Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks took their potential franchise based on famed adventurer Robert Ripley, "Believe It or Not," as far as they could with director Tim Burton and star Jim Carrey before the project fell apart over budget concerns -- and a backend that was close to 30%, according to sources close to the production. But Weston countered that Burton and Carrey have decided to implement their script ideas with new writers. "There's no question that everybody has to take a look at costs," Weston said.
Berman is trying to cap backend gross participants at a total 25%, and $150 million seems to be the Rubicon that Grey will not cross. Critics, though, have contended that the pair lack practice in erecting tentpoles. "This is a unique situation -- the chairman and president together have no experience," one lot producer said.
However, Paramount producer and former Warners production chief Lorenzo di Bonaventura has proved adept at coaxing the studio into backing bigger-budget fare, including the currently filming $60 million-plus political thriller "Shooter," starring Mark Wahlberg, and Matthew Vaughn's $70 million whimsical fantasy "Stardust." "I like being here because the diversity that gets through the pipeline is interesting," di Bonaventura said.
But other in-house producers complain that it's hard to understand the studio's peculiar power grid. Paramount seems to be run by makeshift group consensus that includes Moore, who oversees Paramount's global distribution and marketing divisions. Questions still linger about how much Grey, who wields ultimate greenlight authority, has empowered Berman.
If Freston wanted Paramount to function differently from the other studios, he got his wish. For better or worse, the studio is listening to the beat of its own multiple drummers.
"It's been an amazing year," she said in an interview at her elegant studio office in Hollywood, accompanied by her production lieutenants Alli Shearmur and Brad Weston. "At the end of the day, when 'Nacho' opened this weekend, I had a pretty good feeling: All right, we can make a movie here."
In fact, the idiosyncratic Nickelodeon movie exhibits an unmistakable Berman stamp because she engaged the project from the start with writer-producer Mike White, with whom she had worked at Fox.
Budgeted at $35 million, the quirky "Nacho" also provides a glimpse into the direction that Paramount is moving. Along with John Lesher's prolific Paramount Vantage specialty shingle, which has eight films scheduled for release, the new Melrose Avenue regime is moving forward decisively with an emphasis on smaller projects rather than big-budget pictures.
"It's a learning curve every day," said Berman, who has mounted a familiar-looking chart of all the competing movie releases on the wall of the conference room she shares with studio operations officer Rob Moore. "I spent a year meeting new people every day. As a life experience, it will never be equaled."
Under a directive that Viacom president and CEO Tom Freston gave Paramount chairman Brad Grey to rebuild the studio's cultural DNA, Berman and her team began by throwing out much of the studio's development. Said Berman, "We put together what we think is an original fresh slate."
Paramount's acquisition of DreamWorks also has added eight DreamWorks live-action and two DreamWorks Animation pictures to Paramount's annual lineup, which "takes some of the pressure off of putting out a big slate," she said.
With 11 greenlighted films under her belt, Berman's 2007 lineup is diverse, modest-scaled and aimed at a global audience. The films include Kimberly Peirce's $30 million sophomore effort, "Stop-Loss," starring Ryan Phillippe; producer Judd Apatow's $40 million comedy "Drillbit Taylor," starring Owen Wilson; and the ribald comedy "Hot Rod," which "Saturday Night Live" shorts director Akiva Schaffer will shoot for less than $25 million.
Several small-scale projects that initially were set up at Paramount moved to Lesher's division, including the $9 million Sundance pickup "Hustle & Flow." Craig Brewer's $15 million "Black Snake Moan," starring Samuel Jackson, also was added to Vantage's release slate, as was White's directorial debut, "Year of the Dog," starring Molly Shannon, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's $25 million "Babel," starring Brad Pitt.
"Babel" is just one of several smart, adult-oriented movies that could prove to be Oscar contenders, Berman said. She also cited Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage, which the studio bought as a go picture in turnaround from Universal Pictures, and MTV Films' teacher-in-the-ghetto high school drama "Freedom Writers," directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank. "Paramount has not been where the awards have been," Berman said. "It's important come award season that we're competitive."
Along those lines, Berman is ardently pursuing two Scott Rudin productions: Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," which Stephen Daldry will direct, and a big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Frazen's best-seller "The Corrections," which Inarritu is in talks to helm. The Mexican director is quickly shaping up as a studio favorite as he also is attached to helm "Life and Def," a biopic of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.
On "Nacho," Berman and Shearmur forged an effective relationship with Nickelodeon chief Julia Pistor, who is overseeing the upcoming family films "Barnyard" and "Charlotte's Web" and expects to proceed shortly on the potential family franchise "The Spiderwick Chronicles." And MTV Films will contribute the easy-call $10 million sequel "Jackass 2," among others. Paramount ideally wants three pictures a year each from Nick and MTV.
Getting to a start date on supersized tentpole projects has proved more challenging for Grey and Berman, who lack experience in the delicate art of assembling big-talent packages and seem less willing to throw their capital around than their studio counterparts. "There's nothing remotely cavalier about backing a movie that costs $140 million-$150 million," Berman said.
Co-productions have made it easier. Paramount has teamed with DreamWorks on the $150 million "Transformers," which is filming for a July 4, 2007, release, and it has two partnerships with Warner Bros. Pictures: David Fincher's serial-killer thriller "Zodiac" and Robert Zemeckis' $150 million performance-capture flick "Beowulf."
In her zeal to bring back to life the dormant "Star Trek," Berman has turned to "Mission: Impossible III" director J.J. Abrams, who will work with "Lost" writer Damon Lindelof and the "Transformers" team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurztman. Berman also is anxious for David Koepp to deliver his script for "Indiana Jones 4," which Steven Spielberg might direct for producer George Lucas.
As the studio continues to reinvent itself, Grey faces the looming expiration of Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's Paramount-based producing deal. C/W Prods. will be a free agent as of Aug. 31, if it doesn't re-up with the studio. Berman and Wagner both confirmed that the sides are in discussions. A possible Cruise defection could have profound implications for the studio, as C/W Prods. has provided Paramount with a steady stream of boxoffice hits. Without Cruise, Paramount would be left with Pitt as its sole movie star with a producing deal.
Berman said that keeping Cruise -- the industry's most reliable earner, albeit an increasingly controversial figure -- on the Melrose lot is a high priority. "Any time that I can find a way to be in business with Tom again, I will be right there at the front of the line. He hasn't disappointed yet," she said. But "M:I-3," which has earned more than $334 million worldwide, did fall short domestically, grossing $130 million. In retrospect, Grey's decision to trim the film's budget to $150 million and adjust gross-participation deals proved to be one of his savviest moves as studio chief.
In another indication of the studio's mind-set, Paramount allowed two big-budget Tom Clancy projects to slip away when it put "Without Remorse," which had John Singleton on board to direct, and "Rainbow Six" into turnaround. The studio still plans to restart Clancy's Jack Ryan franchise with a younger, new star, though.
The move likely cost Paramount its relationship with Singleton, who promptly signed a five-picture domestic distribution deal with Universal. But producer Stephanie Allain, who has worked with Singleton on several films, said the relationship between the studio and the "Four Brothers" helmer remains undamaged and that Singleton still owes the studio two small films that he would produce on his original "Hustle" deal.
Meanwhile, producers Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks took their potential franchise based on famed adventurer Robert Ripley, "Believe It or Not," as far as they could with director Tim Burton and star Jim Carrey before the project fell apart over budget concerns -- and a backend that was close to 30%, according to sources close to the production. But Weston countered that Burton and Carrey have decided to implement their script ideas with new writers. "There's no question that everybody has to take a look at costs," Weston said.
Berman is trying to cap backend gross participants at a total 25%, and $150 million seems to be the Rubicon that Grey will not cross. Critics, though, have contended that the pair lack practice in erecting tentpoles. "This is a unique situation -- the chairman and president together have no experience," one lot producer said.
However, Paramount producer and former Warners production chief Lorenzo di Bonaventura has proved adept at coaxing the studio into backing bigger-budget fare, including the currently filming $60 million-plus political thriller "Shooter," starring Mark Wahlberg, and Matthew Vaughn's $70 million whimsical fantasy "Stardust." "I like being here because the diversity that gets through the pipeline is interesting," di Bonaventura said.
But other in-house producers complain that it's hard to understand the studio's peculiar power grid. Paramount seems to be run by makeshift group consensus that includes Moore, who oversees Paramount's global distribution and marketing divisions. Questions still linger about how much Grey, who wields ultimate greenlight authority, has empowered Berman.
If Freston wanted Paramount to function differently from the other studios, he got his wish. For better or worse, the studio is listening to the beat of its own multiple drummers.
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