Michael De Luca has decided not to accept a position as the number two person at Paramount Pictures, TheWrap has learned.
De Luca had been offered a job overseeing Paramount’s film division under prospective studio boss Jim Gianopulos, who stepped down as chair of Fox’s film division late last year. Paramount has been courting Gianopulos to replace former studio boss Brad Grey, who stepped down last month after 12 years at the helm.
De Luca is currently a producer at Universal, where he oversees the highly-profitable “Fifty Shades” franchise. He also produced this year’s Academy Awards, alongside Jennifer Todd.
Representatives for Paramount, Viacom, Universal and De Luca did not respond to a request for comment.
In rejecting the offer, De Luca was not offered any type of sweetener to stay at Universal, according to an individual with knowledge of the deal. An individual close to De Luca said he was “flattered” by the interest, but decided to remain in his comfortable situation at Universal.
Paramount is currently being run by a committee of department heads under the supervision of Viacom CEO Bob Bakish. The committee includes Motion Picture President Marc Evans, Worldwide Distribution and Marketing President Megan Colligan, Paramount COO Andrew Gumpert and the studio’s digital and TV head Amy Powell.
The studio is also said to have heavy-handed guidance from Viacom CFO Wade Davis, who now splits his time between New York and Los Angeles at the behest of Bakish.
9 Potential Brad Grey Replacements at Paramount Pictures (Photos)
TheWrap reported Friday that Paramount Chairman and CEO Brad Grey was in negotiations with Paramount parent company Viacom to depart from the position he’s held for 12 years. Here are eight potential replacements.
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Jeff Robinev
The hard-charging movie exec made a splashy deal with Singapore's Fosun International for his label Studio 8. While a planned 24 films have not come to fruition, Robinov is decisive -- and largely speculated to be in the running for Michael Lynton's chairman job at Sony.
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Jim Gianopulos
The former Fox Film chief is perhaps the hottest free agent in town. His years of experience and position as Hollywood elder statesman makes him a prime target to run a studio -- and he reportedly already has a job offer from the Dalian Wanda Group top head their new mega-studio WQS.
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Janice Min
It’s a very far left-field choice, but the word around town is that Min is gunning for a Hollywood job now that she’s stepping down as co-president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard. While she has little-to-no experience with filmed entertainment, she certainly has the taste, the proximity to high-calibre executives and the knowledge of how to spend on premium content.
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John Landgraf
Sure, it’s television, but Landgraf has made a stunning success out of Fox cable property FX. Couple that with his scholarly knowledge of storytelling and his preachy, must-see lectures on the content bubble, and he’s a safe bet to run a successful ship and innovate at the same time.
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Greg Silverman
By no stretch of the imagination did Silverman leave Warner Bros. in a cloud of triumph, but the studio’s troubled DC Comics division can hardly be blamed solely on the longtime movie executive. Silverman has experience in both development and overseeing global production, and has seen great success on film franchises without spandex and capes — like the raunchy “Hangover” series.
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Rob Friedman
The veteran movie executive was so instrumental in expanding Summit Entertainment with the blockbuster "Twilight Saga," that Lionsgate named him Co-Chairman when they acquired Summit in 2012. He stepped down from the position last September, so he's available. It doesn't hurt that he knows where to park at Paramount -- Friedman previously served as COO and Vice Chairman at the studio for almost 10 years.
Bryan Burk
Another interesting possibility is Burk, producing partner to J.J. Abrams. Their Bad Robot label has become of vital importance to the studio, as the pair have a hand in everything from “Mission: Impossible” to “Star Trek” tentpoles, and will be developing a film-a-year movie universe in Abrams’ original “Cloverfield” series.
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Peter Liguori
The former Tribune honcho is seeking a Hollywood job, multiple insiders have previously told TheWrap, and he could be an easy fit for Grey's empty chair.
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Andrew Gumpert
Gumpert is a well-liked and effective executive who just joined Paramount in November after leaving Sony. He might not have the lay of the land yet, but Gumpert is more than capable of such a high-ranking job.
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On Friday, TheWrap reported that Grey was in talks to step away from his role as Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO
TheWrap reported Friday that Paramount Chairman and CEO Brad Grey was in negotiations with Paramount parent company Viacom to depart from the position he’s held for 12 years. Here are eight potential replacements.
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