December 8, 2004

I thought that in honor of Chanukah, the festival of lights, I would do a column of eight presents I'd like to see various studios receive. But as I thought of it, I got a little depressed. After all, what is there to be gifted other than people keeping their jobs or finding new jobs in the new year?

There is a sense of positive anticipation out there, too. It's no fun for the folks at Paramount to be wondering what the real New Paramount is going to look like, but on the other hand, the idea of a vibrant, hungry company emerging from what has been years now of just getting by - a lot of the blame for that laying at the feet of Mr. Redstone himself - is thrilling. People in-house are clamoring for Donald DeLine to get the job, but it seems that the buzz is as much about hoping he will keep more of the current team in place as it is that he is the must-have leader.

What will the future of DreamWorks be, with Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald apparently leaving the nest they claimed they were going to leave two "studio chiefs" ago, the animation division on its own and Geffen focused on little more than Dreamgirls: The Motion Picture? There is only one non-animated film on the DreamWorks schedule for next year. With all my love and respect for the breakout company that DreamWorks wanted to be, and the many gifted people who have been part of making that happen, I am telling you… they are going. It's the best thing they'll ever know. There's no way though that they can't go.

No no no no way… no no no no way they're staying in business. They're not staying in business. There's just no enough money. They're going, they're going, and I, and I, I'm gonna miss them. Ooooh! I'm gonna miss them.

Sorry… couldn't help myself.

But seriously…

DreamWorks may not disappear as a studio brand and there may never be a formal announcement of a shut-down. In fact, Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment produced about 35 feature films in the decade before DreamWorks started up. DreamWorks produced or picked up about 67 films in their decade in existence. Add in a couple of animation titles a year and DreamWorks/Amblin can be almost exactly as prolific as DreamWorks… with a lot less overhead.

The truth is, Spielberg can afford to keep as many people on board as he wishes. The only bottom line the business has to answer to is his own… so long as Paul Allen doesn't want all of his money out at once. With what seems to be the likely addition of Miramax's Rick Sands to the team, it suggests Spielberg is ready to get down and dirty.

(Late Note: DreamWorks called to say that they will, in fact, release 6 non-animated films... more on this tomorrow here and later today on MCN.)

Meanwhile, Sony is going to have to figure out how to utilize that 15 year lease MGM has on their new building in Century City because you can be sure that that integration will happen before the summer. MGM has already pared down the staff quite a bit, but they've also hired some new people in recent months to support films like Hotel Rwanda and they continue to greenlight small movies.

Terry Curtin has already left the auditorium at Revolution. You have to figure that Tom Sherak is about ready for emeritus status, perhaps becoming the Joe Hyams to any number of major filmmakers who want a true know-it-all to help them steer the treacherous roads to theatrical release. Joe Roth is a relatively young man... who knows what he's going to want to do with himself after this experiment ends?

Even if the Weinsteins stay at Disney's Miramax, it will be a company cut to the core. And if they don't, the new venture will surely be tightly held.

Disney will be changing uber-captains and while it is hard to imagine that Dick Cook will be going anywhere else, Nina Jacobson may be heading elsewhere when that transition takes place. With a big movie as producer under his belt, who knows where Oren Aviv is headed? And what inspiration will a new CEO bring to that very contentious party?

It doesn't look like NBC is anxious to drop the other foot at Universal anytime soon, though Stuber and Parent remain among the ripest second bananas hanging from the movie tree. The road to Kong next year looks to be paved with creativity and a lot less CG.

Warner Bros. should remain in stasis until Superman flies in and either raises the roof or crashes and burns. Meanwhile, the studio is the home of the 2004/2005 Oscars with Million Dollar Baby, Phantom of the Opera, and The Aviator in serious play.

Then there's Fox. Solid. But with Peter Chernin being every sane person's favorite candidate to take over at Disney and the "When is Rice moving up?" fire being held under Rothman & Gianopulis' feet every day, who knows when things suddenly shift?.

Yes, all I want for Chanukah is my two front teeth.

Asking for any more seems a little greedy right now.

READER OF THE DAY: HIS ROYAL SNAKINESS writes about yesterday's ROTD: "The reader of the day apparently missed the late Nineties. If he or she had. They might have noticed this little show named "Dawson's Creek." A show that had dialogue just as "shocking" as 'Closer, but low and behold came out of the actors and actresses mouths in a more convincing way than 4 of the top acting talents in the Hollywood today.

The best part about the dialogue in Closer; it's so bloody contrieved. Not one moment did any of those actors sell the dialogue in the least. When Joshua "THE SKULLS" Jackson can essentially say just as powerful adult dialogue as Clive Owen, but sell it in a way much colder and direct. You know you have problems.

What I really had a problem with from the reader of the day was his or her's analogy of Lost in Translation to Closer. Unlike Closer, Lost in Translation deals with a connection, a real connection, made between two fictional characters on screen that could be realistic it was written and directed that skillfully. Closer just deals with fake ass characters, in fake ass relationships, and the fake ass reactions to them. People who dislike Closer might possibly hate it because it's fake. People who dislike Lost in Translation might just be as cold as Clive Owen is supposed to be in Closer. It could just be speculation on my part, but like the idiot commentaries on the Ultimate Matrix Collection. I am just putting it out there.

'Why is Trinity running if she can fly?' What a bunch of dumbasses. Have a nice day..."

E-ME: What would you give Hollywood as a holiday gift... and what would you like to get from Hollywood?