DreamWorks, the production house run by Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, is reportedly deep in talks to move operations to NBC Universal from its current home at Paramount, according to the New York Times.
A Saturday article says discussions have been ongoing since the late summer but have slowed down over financing.
DreamWorks founders David Geffen, left, Jeffrey Katzenberg, centre and Steven Spielberg are seen here in New York City in 2004. Katzenberg runs DreamWorks Animation as an independent entity while DreamWorks SKG Inc. remains in the hands of Geffen and Spielberg.
(John Marshall Mantel/Associated Press)
Geffen is slated to meet next week with the chair of General Electric, which owns NBC Universal, as well as Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal.
According to sources close to the negotiations, NBC Universal wants DreamWorks to use outside financing for its movies, which Universal would distribute. But DreamWorks wants to be fully financed.
Spielberg has a close relationship with Universal, having spent three decades of his career at the studio, and still has his production office there. Universal also financed movies with DreamWorks before the Paramount deal.
Paramount clinched a deal to take over DreamWorks' live action branch for $1.6 billion US back in early 2006, snatching it away from NBC Universal, which had also put in a bid.
DreamWorks, founded in 1994 by Geffen, Spielberg and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, has been successful in both the live action and animation genres.Â
Its stable of movies includes American Beauty, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Saving Private Ryan, Transformers as well as the animated Shrek series, Shark Tale, Madagascar and Flushed Away.
DreamWorks Animation, run by Katzenberg, was spun off into an independent company in 2004 and would be unaffected by any new deals.
Geffen and Spielberg have been unhappy with Paramount and their strong feelings came to light recently in a Vanity Fair interview in which Geffen said selling the company to Paramount had been a "poor choice."
Geffen was critical of Viacom, Paramount's parent company, and its CEO, Sumner Redstone.
"Redstone, he is accustomed to bullying people. And I will not be bullied," Geffen is quoted in the magazine's December issue.
"I don't like the way he treats people. Most of all, nobody is going to treat me or my partner [Spielberg] in that manner and stay in business with us. Nobody."
Related
Internal Links
More Film Headlines »
- Broadway, Hollywood choreographer Michael Kidd dies
- American choreographer Michael Kidd, who created dance for the stage musical Finian's Rainbow and the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died.
- Bollywood producer G.P. Sippy dies at 93
- Bollywood filmmaker G.P. Sippy, who produced a string of hits including Sholay, has died at 93.
- Sacha Baron Cohen bids Borat, Ali G goodbye
- British comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen is bidding farewell to the two alter egos that brought him international success: the dim-witted hip hop interviewer Ali G and uncouth reporter Borat.
- People's Choice to pre-record annual awards
- Rather than roll out the red carpet, the organizers of the People's Choice Awards will offer a modified, pre-recorded version of its annual honours in response to the television and film writers' strike.
- Into the Wild leads SAG award nominations
- Sean Penn's road trip drama Into the Wild has won a leading four Screen Actors Guild nominations, including best actor for Emile Hirsch.
More Arts Headlines »
- Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies
- The jazz odyssey is over for Oscar Peterson: the Canadian known globally as one of the most spectacularly talented musicians ever to play jazz piano has died at age 82.
- Broadway, Hollywood choreographer Michael Kidd dies
- American choreographer Michael Kidd, who created dance for the stage musical Finian's Rainbow and the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died.
- It's Going Down for rapper Yung Joc
- Atlanta, Ga., rapper Yung Joc has created his own show stopper by failing to turn up for a court appearance over a weapons charge, federal prosecutors say.
- Bollywood producer G.P. Sippy dies at 93
- Bollywood filmmaker G.P. Sippy, who produced a string of hits including Sholay, has died at 93.
- Queen Elizabeth launches Royal Channel on YouTube
- Queen Elizabeth has set up her own channel on the video-sharing website YouTube and will be posting her annual Christmas Day message on the site this year.
Arts Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window