Paramount to Absorb Insurge Label; Amy Powell Stripped Of Film Duties (Exclusive)

She’ll continue to report to Rob Moore and Brad Grey but Insurge executives will now report to Marc Evans

Premiere Of Paramount Insurge's "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" - Red CarpetParamount is set to absorb its microbudget genre label Paramount Insurge into the main studio and strip President Amy Powell of her film responsibilities, TheWrap has learned. The move appears to be part of Paramount’s ongoing consolidation, according to insiders.

Powell will continue to focus on Paramount’s TV and digital operations but insiders tell TheWrap that Insurge executives will join Paramount’s feature team and report directly to Marc Evans, the newly-installed president of Paramount Motion Picture Group. Powell will continue to report to Vice Chairman Rob Moore on digital efforts and Paramount Chairman and CEO Brad Grey for TV.

A representative for Paramount declined to comment.

Paramount Insurge will continue to exist as a label that Paramount will use selectively on low-budget genre projects.

The upheaval at Paramount Insurge follows the Melrose studio’s recent executive shakeup, which saw Evans replace Adam Goodman, who was offered a first-look deal on the lot. It’s unclear if Goodman has accepted that offer or what he has planned for his next move.

Paramount formed Insurge in March 2010 following the success of its “Paranormal Activity” franchise, so the studio has given the studio five years to find its identity.

The microbudget film division was entrusted to Powell, who was a rising star at the studio thanks to her expertise in digital marketing. At the time, Powell’s creative divisions were known to make projects quicker and cheaper than others at Paramount, such as the horror movie “The Devil Inside” and the popular web series “Burning Love.”

Paramount Insurge’s releases include the concert films “Katy Perry: Part of Me” and “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” as well as “Project Almanac” and Dan Trachtenberg’s upcoming thriller starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman.

The Insurge Twitter account hasn’t posted anything in nearly three years, and the situation has reminded several industry observers of what happened with Paramount’s prestige Vantage label.

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