LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 months in the job.
The Viacom Inc-owned studio said on Friday it would replace Paramount Film Group president John Lesher with former DreamWorks production chief Adam Goodman. Also out is production president Brad Weston.
Paramount, which is struggling to regain its momentum after a lengthy reliance on co-productions led to a major shakeup four years ago, did not cite a reason for the latest personnel shift in its statement.
The studio has the top film of the year so far in North America with "Star Trek," but its slate has otherwise been boosted by films from partners such as DreamWorks Animation ("Monsters vs. Aliens"). The unrelated DreamWorks Pictures has also been a major supplier, but it quit Paramount last year, leaving Goodman behind at Paramount.
Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to make, has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
Paramount will likely top the worldwide box office next weekend with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," although the sequel is a legacy of its DreamWorks partnership.
Goodman becomes the third executive to oversee all of Paramount's film production since studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey arrived at the studio in January 2005 with a mandate to produce more films in-house. Lesher, who had been closely involved with such Oscar-winning arthouse fare as "Babel" and "There Will Be Blood," took over as head of the film group in early 2008.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Jackie Frank)
> LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which > suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie > Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 > months in the job.
> The Viacom Inc-owned studio said on Friday it would replace Paramount > Film Group president John Lesher with former DreamWorks production chief > Adam Goodman. Also out is production president Brad Weston.
> Paramount, which is struggling to regain its momentum after a lengthy > reliance on co-productions led to a major shakeup four years ago, did > not cite a reason for the latest personnel shift in its statement.
> The studio has the top film of the year so far in North America with > "Star Trek," but its slate has otherwise been boosted by films from > partners such as DreamWorks Animation ("Monsters vs. Aliens"). The > unrelated DreamWorks Pictures has also been a major supplier, but it > quit Paramount last year, leaving Goodman behind at Paramount.
> Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to make, > has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
> Paramount will likely top the worldwide box office next weekend with > "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," although the sequel is a legacy > of its DreamWorks partnership.
> Goodman becomes the third executive to oversee all of Paramount's film > production since studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey arrived at the studio > in January 2005 with a mandate to produce more films in-house. Lesher, > who had been closely involved with such Oscar-winning arthouse fare as > "Babel" and "There Will Be Blood," took over as head of the film group > in early 2008.
> (Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Jackie Frank)
John Lesher drew notice for looking "whacked out and shit-faced and falling down drunk" during the studio's big Benjamin Buttons and Sweeney Todd screening parties. He's been known to nod off in front of directors during their discussions. He's been seen dozing on his office couch in the afternoons. That may be because he's been up at 3 AM often making "incoherent and rambling and emotional" communications with his Paramount colleagues. For instance, Lesher's bizarre wee-hour emails to Adam Goodman are now the stuff of legend. Even more famous is Lesher's sobbing "I'm sorry" phone call to Nick Meyer back in December after Lesher pushed him out of Paramount Vantage. (As Lesher explained to pals later, "I was very upset for my friend. He has family. I put him in that job. I take things personally.")
> > LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which > > suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie > > Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 > > months in the job.
> > The Viacom Inc-owned studio said on Friday it would replace Paramount > > Film Group president John Lesher with former DreamWorks production chief > > Adam Goodman. Also out is production president Brad Weston.
> > Paramount, which is struggling to regain its momentum after a lengthy > > reliance on co-productions led to a major shakeup four years ago, did > > not cite a reason for the latest personnel shift in its statement.
> > The studio has the top film of the year so far in North America with > > "Star Trek," but its slate has otherwise been boosted by films from > > partners such as DreamWorks Animation ("Monsters vs. Aliens"). The > > unrelated DreamWorks Pictures has also been a major supplier, but it > > quit Paramount last year, leaving Goodman behind at Paramount.
> > Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to make, > > has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
> > Paramount will likely top the worldwide box office next weekend with > > "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," although the sequel is a legacy > > of its DreamWorks partnership.
> > Goodman becomes the third executive to oversee all of Paramount's film > > production since studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey arrived at the studio > > in January 2005 with a mandate to produce more films in-house. Lesher, > > who had been closely involved with such Oscar-winning arthouse fare as > > "Babel" and "There Will Be Blood," took over as head of the film group > > in early 2008.
> > (Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Jackie Frank)
> John Lesher drew notice for looking "whacked out and shit-faced and > falling down drunk" during the studio's big Benjamin Buttons and Sweeney > Todd screening parties. He's been known to nod off in front of directors > during their discussions. He's been seen dozing on his office couch in > the afternoons. That may be because he's been up at 3 AM often making > "incoherent and rambling and emotional" communications with his > Paramount colleagues. For instance, Lesher's bizarre wee-hour emails to > Adam Goodman are now the stuff of legend. Even more famous is Lesher's > sobbing "I'm sorry" phone call to Nick Meyer back in December after > Lesher pushed him out of Paramount Vantage. (As Lesher explained to pals > later, "I was very upset for my friend. He has family. I put him in that > job. I take things personally.")
When Paramount took over Dreamworks, it was a good deal because Paramount had 12 movies tops in the pipeline ready or near ready for release, while Dreamworks had about 8 movies in production that Paramount could include in its slate of yearly releases (my number may be off by one or two). You cannot be a Hollywood major motion picture studio if you only produce 12 movies a year as studio releases. Getting the U.S. distribution rights to a box office blockbuster like "Taken" is an infrequent occurrence.
Paramount now has a lot riding on Transformers II, maybe too much. Depending on Eddie Murphy now for a hit was the act of a gambler, Eddie Murphy movies usually bomb, sometime very badly as in the case of the near unreleasable Pluto Nash. Paramount CEO Grey reports to a Board of Directors that must be ready to bounce Grey, all he is good at is firing studio executives after blaming them for flops. Grey is running out of executives to fire. If Transformers II under performs, expect Grey to leave with a studio production deal to cushion the shock.
>> > LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which >> > suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an >> > Eddie Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after >> > barely 18 months in the job.
>> > The Viacom Inc-owned studio said on Friday it would replace >> > Paramount Film Group president John Lesher with former DreamWorks >> > production chie > f >> > Adam Goodman. Also out is production president Brad Weston.
>> > Paramount, which is struggling to regain its momentum after a >> > lengthy reliance on co-productions led to a major shakeup four >> > years ago, did not cite a reason for the latest personnel shift in >> > its statement.
>> > The studio has the top film of the year so far in North America >> > with "Star Trek," but its slate has otherwise been boosted by films >> > from partners such as DreamWorks Animation ("Monsters vs. Aliens"). >> > The unrelated DreamWorks Pictures has also been a major supplier, >> > but it quit Paramount last year, leaving Goodman behind at >> > Paramount.
>> > Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to >> > make, has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
>> > Paramount will likely top the worldwide box office next weekend >> > with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," although the sequel is >> > a legacy of its DreamWorks partnership.
>> > Goodman becomes the third executive to oversee all of Paramount's >> > film production since studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey arrived at >> > the studi > o >> > in January 2005 with a mandate to produce more films in-house. >> > Lesher, who had been closely involved with such Oscar-winning >> > arthouse fare as "Babel" and "There Will Be Blood," took over as >> > head of the film group in early 2008.
>> > (Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Jackie Frank)
>> John Lesher drew notice for looking "whacked out and shit-faced and >> falling down drunk" during the studio's big Benjamin Buttons and >> Sweeney Todd screening parties. He's been known to nod off in front >> of directors during their discussions. He's been seen dozing on his >> office couch in the afternoons. That may be because he's been up at 3 >> AM often making "incoherent and rambling and emotional" >> communications with his Paramount colleagues. For instance, Lesher's >> bizarre wee-hour emails to Adam Goodman are now the stuff of legend. >> Even more famous is Lesher's sobbing "I'm sorry" phone call to Nick >> Meyer back in December after Lesher pushed him out of Paramount >> Vantage. (As Lesher explained to pals later, "I was very upset for my >> friend. He has family. I put him in that job. I take things >> personally.")
> When Paramount took over Dreamworks, it was a good deal because > Paramount had 12 movies tops in the pipeline ready or near ready for > release, while Dreamworks had about 8 movies in production that > Paramount could include in its slate of yearly releases (my number may > be off by one or two). You cannot be a Hollywood major motion picture > studio if you only produce 12 movies a year as studio releases. > Getting the U.S. distribution rights to a box office blockbuster like > "Taken" is an infrequent occurrence.
> Paramount now has a lot riding on Transformers II, maybe too much. > Depending on Eddie Murphy now for a hit was the act of a gambler, > Eddie Murphy movies usually bomb, sometime very badly as in the case > of the near unreleasable Pluto Nash. Paramount CEO Grey reports to a > Board of Directors that must be ready to bounce Grey, all he is good > at is firing studio executives after blaming them for flops. Grey is > running out of executives to fire. If Transformers II under performs, > expect Grey to leave with a studio production deal to cushion the > shock.
I've heard that so many imes that I get the impression that every big studio always has a lot riding on every hopeful big summer blockbuster. If they get lucky and make strike it rich, as with Spidey or Iron Man, they make enough to last a couple of extra yeasrs. But soon that money runs out, and they're teetering on the brink again.
> LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which > suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie > Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 > months in the job. ... > Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to make, > has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
Eddie just can't seem to make a movie anymore. What was his last good film other than voicing animateds? Beverly Hills Cop?
>> LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which >> suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie >> Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 >> months in the job. > ... >> Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to >> make, has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
> Eddie just can't seem to make a movie anymore. What was his last good > film > other than voicing animateds? Beverly Hills Cop?
Pretty much. He made three or four in the eighties, but nothing important since then. I liked the one with Steve Martin and Heather Graham. The critics ignored it, but it was a really funny movie.
> > LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, which > > suffered the first big bomb of the summer last weekend with an Eddie > > Murphy comedy, has fired its top production executive after barely 18 > > months in the job. > ... > > Murphy's "Imagine That," which Paramount said cost $55 million to make, > > has earned $9.2 million after eight days.
> Eddie just can't seem to make a movie anymore. What was his last good film > other than voicing animateds? Beverly Hills Cop?
Well, he's under contract to make movies, they don't have to be good movies... Hollywood is not in business to make good movies..
If they can make a movie with the production cost of only twenty nine dollars, they will make it, it won't matter to anyone if it will be good or not. They would even put it on DVD and put it on TV for the next hundred years.
If you want good movies, you have to kill everybody and start all over again.
The Starmaker
Here's how you do it:
First you kill all the Paramount top production executives. Then kill all the people they hired under them...friends, relatives, their kids..everyone. Then you do that will all the other studios..
