Paramount Pictures


Paramount sale blocked until Redstone ruling

Viacom will not be able to sell a stake in Paramount Pictures until a US judge decides on company owner Sumner Redstone’s capacity to make decisions. The potential sale of a 49% is off the table, while the Viacom board members removed by parent company National Amusements this month will actually remain in place while […]

Dauman axed from Viacom board

Viacom’s chief executive, Philippe Dauman, is one of five directors axed from the media giant’s board by parent company National Amusements. Five new directors have been elected to the board to replace those chopped, who comprise Dauman (pictured), George Abrams, Blythe McGarvie, Frederic Salerno and William Schwartz. Dauman does remain CEO for the time being, […]

Paramount sale ‘progressing’ despite Redstone row

Viacom chairman and CEO Philippe Dauman has said his plan to sell a minority stake in film arm Paramount Pictures remains on track, despite the recent boardroom battles. Dauman’s future has looked increasingly unclear as the Redstone camp, which controls Viacom through National Amusements, has attempted to dampen his power through a series of legal […]

Epix to adapt Get Shorty for TV

US premium cable channel Epix is to produce a TV version of 1990s movie Get Shorty. Production on the series will begin this year ahead of a 2017 launch, with MGM Television attached. MGM is the US studio that originally adapted Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel as a film and part-owns Epix with Paramount Pictures and […]

Dan Mintz firm linked to $2bn Paramount stake

Dan Mintz’s DMG Entertainment has been named a potential buyer of a 40% stake in Viacom’s film division, Paramount Pictures. According to Deadline, DMG is prepared to pay US$2 billion for the stake, which would make the LA- and Beijing-based company a significant shareholder in Paramount. Viacom put a chunk of Paramount up for sale […]

Earley emerges at Berman’s Jackal

Former Fox Television Group COO Joe Earley has reunited with producer Gail Berman by becoming president of The Jackal Group. Earley exited Fox last year, a move that came after 21 years of service at Rupert Murdoch’s media group, and as the TV broadcast division merged with the Hollywood studio. At Jackal, Earley will report […]

Nick hands Viscardi content role, Hey Arnold! movie

Nickelodeon has handed veteran producer Chris Viscardi a senior content role, with a first task overseeing a new telemovie based on the classic Hey Arnold! toon series. Viscardi (pictured) has been named senior VP, content development, Nickelodeon franchise properties, reporting to Nick’s, president, content development and production, Russell Hicks. Based at Nick’s Burbank, California base, […]

ProSiebenSat.1 nabs ‘important’ Disney content deal

ProSiebenSat.1 and The Walt Disney Company have agreed a significant multi-year agreement that gives the former new US series and movies for its free, pay and SVOD channels. The deal is a coup for German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, with Disney’s output previously going out in the territory through former local partner RTL. The master-licence agreement includes […]

EU launches antitrust case against Sky, studios

The European Commission is investigating Sky and six Hollywood majors, Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros., for agreeing country-specific content rights deals in the EU. The Commission has sent a statement of objections to the parties alleging that they have put in place contractual restrictions preventing Sky UK from allowing […]

Zodiak hires ex-Paramount exec in US scripted push

Zodiak Media has hired former Paramount digital programming chief Keith Quinn to take its European scripted formats into the US, TBI has learned. Quinn has taken on a consultancy post that will see him delve into Zodiak’s library to find shows that can be packaged with local US producers and sold to the ever-growing pool […]