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7 Potential Contenders for Amy Pascal’s Sony Gig

Sony insiders predict restructuring and a promotion from within, but the field is still open

| February 5, 2015 @ 4:58 PM
Potential contenders for Amy Pascal's Sony Job

Amy Pascal is leaving her post at Sony Pictures Entertainment, opening the door for another Hollywood power player to take her place.

Insiders told TheWrap Pascal’s replacement would come from within the studio, and Michael De Luca, currently president of Production at Sony’s Columbia Pictures, was singled out by more than one industry watcher as the likeliest successor, but possibilities still abound.

Below are seven possibilities to replace Pascal:

Premiere Of Columbia Pictures' "Captain Phillips" - Red Carpet

Michael De Luca
The successful producer has held high level executive jobs at rival studios and some saw his appointment to president of Production at Columbia Pictures in December as a signifier that he was being groomed for an even higher office.

“He is going to make risky choices on commercial films and somehow make them successful and financially successful,” said one Hollywood producer who believes De Luca will end up as Pascal’s replacement.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Likely to Choose Amy Pascal Successor From Within, Insiders Say (Exclusive)

sony-belgrad

Doug Belgrad
Currently president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group and president of Columbia Pictures, Belgrad joined SPE in 1989 and rose to co-president of Production at Columbia Pictures in 2003, becoming president of the label five years later.

And he’s worked under with with Pascal for years, noted one film exec, who believes the choice will come down to De Luca and Belgrad.

“Doug has been Amy’s Lieutenant for a long time,” he said. “She kept promoting him.”

Also Read: Amy Pascal Sony Resignation: A Timeline of Cyberterror and Misfires

Tom Rothman (Sony)

Tom Rothman
Rothman partnered with Sony to relaunch TriStar Productions in August 2013, which many felt at the time well positioned him to take over for Pascal at some point in the future. The name TriStar has had a long history in Hollywood and on the Sony lot, where it once produced hits like “Jerry Maguire” and “City Slickers”; however, it had been largely dormant for the past decade.

One film executive not connected to Sony believes the former Fox boss will have a hard time impressing Sony’s bosses in Japan.

“Unfortunately, his reputation precedes him,” he said. “I’m not sure Japanese leadership will want to deal with him.”

Also Read: Sony Corp, Disney Stocks Uptick After Amy Pascal Resignation, Tom Staggs Promotion

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Jeff Robinov
The former Warner Bros boss got into business with Sony in March when he launched Studio 8, a production company that has a distribution deal with the studio. At Warner Bros, Robinov oversaw major franchise films like Chirstopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy and Oscar winners like “Slumdog Millionaire.”

He certainly has the experience, but does he want the job?

“They will go to Jeff first,” predicted one producer, who also noted Robinov would be a good choice. “He will turn down the job. He has enough power where he is now.”

Also Read: Amy Pascal Steps Down as Sony Pictures Chairman After Hack Debacle

steve-mosko

Steve Mosko
Mosko, president of  Sony Pictures Television, has been an SPE executive for over two decades and is well regarded at the company. He might be a good choice for the studio as they plan a “significant shift from motion pictures to higher margin television production and networks,” as Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton told investors Nov. 20, 2014.

Meanwhile, Sony’s TV unit produces hit shows like “The Blacklist” and operates networks in more than 150 countries, and Mosko could certainly be counted on to bring what he did so well there to the film side of things.

Also Read: ‘The Interview’ Hits Netflix, Social Media Explodes

 

Fox 2000 President Elizabeth Gabler (Michael Buckner, Getty Images)

Elizabeth Gabler
Gabler has been president of Fox 2000 since 2000, shepherding such such films as “Walk the Line,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” for the studio.

She re-upped her contract in 2012, but taking control of a much larger studio would certainly be a step up for the exec who’s shown she can choose both lucrative tentpoles and prestige projects with star filmmakers.

Also Read: ‘Fault In Our Stars,’ ‘Apes’ Propel 21st Century Fox Beyond Analysts’ Expectations in Q1

Venice Family Clinic's 35th Annual Silver Circle Gala

Chris Silbermann
A partner at ICM Talent agency, Silbermann is a well-liked executive with decades of experience who, like Mosko, has more experience and a preference for TV over film. He is also a forward-thinker who has been encouraging the industry’s move towards digital platforms, which could make him an ideal candidate to lead a company looking for a new direction.

 

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • Michael Lynton The Grill
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • Skyfall Daniel Craig James Bond 25
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus chief of staff donald trump health care bill punt end zone football twitter
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
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As Sony CEO Michael Lynton prepares to exit, here’s TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack. 

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