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DreamWorks maintaining its identity
'Kid' to be studio's first pairing with Paramount
Box office for DreamWorks films will be reported under
the new DW-Par banner starting with 'The Heartbreak Kid.'
BY Pamela McClintock
Variety
October 3, 2007
Full article at:
'Kid' to be studio's first pairing with Paramount
Box office for DreamWorks films will be reported under
the new DW-Par banner starting with 'The Heartbreak Kid.'
BY Pamela McClintock
Variety
October 3, 2007
A structure may be emerging that theoretically would allow DreamWorks to solve its identity crisis while staying within the Paramount and Viacom fold.
Looking to soothe tensions, Paramount will start reporting box office receipts for DreamWorks titles under the newly created DreamWorks-Paramount banner. The arrangement will begin this weekend with the bow of Ben Stiller laffer "The Heartbreak Kid," but the accommodation was made several months ago when the overall DreamWorks deal was re-negotiated.
"It was important to (Geffen and Spielberg) that things be clear in term of the movies that are theirs," a Par exec said.
This could help to pave the way for a scenario in which DreamWorks becomes more of an autonomous production company, with the ability to raise outside money, in addition to its allotment from Paramount.
Whatever the case, concession indicates that Par is trying to do what it can to save the DreamWorks marriage and keep Steven Spielberg and David Geffen from bolting at the end of 2008. But there is still skepticism on both sides that the chasm can be bridged in view of all the bad blood.
Spielberg and Geffen have contended that Par and its parent Viacom have not given DreamWorks its proper due considering that DreamWorks has delivered a string of B.O. hits this year that has propelled Paramount to the top in market share. With Paramount as the distrib, coin for DreamWorks pics has been reported in the media and by B.O. data providers as falling under the Paramount banner.
As such, the new DreamWorks-Paramount label -- "DW/Par" for short -- is designed to give DreamWorks public recognition of its box office successes.
Looking to soothe tensions, Paramount will start reporting box office receipts for DreamWorks titles under the newly created DreamWorks-Paramount banner. The arrangement will begin this weekend with the bow of Ben Stiller laffer "The Heartbreak Kid," but the accommodation was made several months ago when the overall DreamWorks deal was re-negotiated.
"It was important to (Geffen and Spielberg) that things be clear in term of the movies that are theirs," a Par exec said.
This could help to pave the way for a scenario in which DreamWorks becomes more of an autonomous production company, with the ability to raise outside money, in addition to its allotment from Paramount.
Whatever the case, concession indicates that Par is trying to do what it can to save the DreamWorks marriage and keep Steven Spielberg and David Geffen from bolting at the end of 2008. But there is still skepticism on both sides that the chasm can be bridged in view of all the bad blood.
Spielberg and Geffen have contended that Par and its parent Viacom have not given DreamWorks its proper due considering that DreamWorks has delivered a string of B.O. hits this year that has propelled Paramount to the top in market share. With Paramount as the distrib, coin for DreamWorks pics has been reported in the media and by B.O. data providers as falling under the Paramount banner.
As such, the new DreamWorks-Paramount label -- "DW/Par" for short -- is designed to give DreamWorks public recognition of its box office successes.
