Brian Robbins: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: Almost 16 years ago Denzel Washington and Ridley Scott wowed audiences with their hit crime drama American Gangster, and now it looks like the the two A-listers are ready to get back together in a big way. Sources tell Deadline that Washington is in final negotiations to co-star in Scott’s sequel to his Oscar Best Picture winner Gladiator for Paramount.

Parker Finn has just signed a first-look deal with Paramount to write, produce, and direct features.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Somebody must be flashing their pearly whites. Paramount Pictures has entered a multi-year, first-look deal with Parker Finn to write, produce and direct features.  The pact comes on the heels of Finn’s breakout horror hit “Smile,” which became a sleeper box office sensation. Finn wrote and directed the creepy tale, which went on to be the top grossing original horror movie of 2022, raking in $216 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. It was based on his short film “Laura Hasn’t Slept.” “‘Smile’s’breakthrough success is a testament to Parker’s unique and fresh filmmaking, and we are thrilled that he will make Paramount his home,” said Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins.

Paramount Pictures has hammered a multi-year, first-look deal with Parker Finn to write, produce and direct features. 

Ahead of the SXSW world premiere and the March 31 opening of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Paramount Pictures has closed a multi-year, first look deal with the film’s directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and their newly formed production company GoldDay under which they’ll write, direct and produce features.   

After expanding his role to include Nickelodeon Studios back in March, Paramount COO Andrew Gumpert is exiting the Melrose lot, effective this week. The announcement as just made by studio Boss Brian Robbins tonight.

Amanda Bynes, along with fellow former All That cast members Lori Beth Denberg, Danny Tamberelli and Kel Mitchell, will reunite at 90’s Con for the show’s largest reunion since the popular Nickelodeon series wrapped 18 years ago. It also marks Bynes’ first major public appearance since her conservatorship ended last year. Hosted by Thats4Entertainment, the convention runs March 17-19 in Hartford, CT.

Ahead of the opening of Damien Chazelle’s $80M early Hollywood opus Babylon, the Brian Robbins-run Paramount Pictures studio is doubling down on the filmmaker and his producer wife Olivia Hamilton with a multi-year, first look directing and producing deal with their Wild Chickens Productions.

Here’s some big news. In the wake of former DC Films Boss Walter Hamada departing Warner Discovery, he’s landed at Paramount Pictures in an exclusive, multi-year production deal. Big gain here for the Melrose lot in an executive, who not only steered DC to its highest grossing movie in Aquaman with $1.1 billion worldwide, but also was behind The Conjuring franchise, the highest grossing horror series ever with over $2 billion.

Paramount’s Parker Finn-directed horror pic Smile has laughed all the way past the $200M mark worldwide. After six weeks in release – and with scary strong holds – the split through Sunday is $99.1M domestic and $103.8M from the international box office for a global cume of $202.9M.

Paramount Pictures chief Brian Robbins wants to boost the studio’s annual theatrical output to 12 to 15 releases, up from its current Covid-affected level of eight this year and 10 to 12 in 2023.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Top Gun: Maverick” has crossed $700 million in North America, becoming one of six movies to ever surpass that milestone at the domestic box office. The film returned to the top of box office charts over Labor Day weekend, adding $7.5 million between Friday and Monday and bringing ticket sales to $701 million. According to Paramount, “Maverick” is the only film to ever be No. 1 at the domestic box office for both Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.  After 15 weeks of release, the sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 blockbuster has overtaken Marvel’s behemoth “Black Panther” ($700.4 million) as the fifth-highest grossing movie in domestic box office history. Impressively, the “Top Gun” follow-up has long flown past “Black Panther” internationally and globally. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s latest mission has racked up $740 million overseas and $1.44 billion worldwide while T’Challa’s super-heroic adventure tapped out with $674 million overseas and $1.347 billion worldwide.

Salma Hayek and Tom Cruise are great friends, but the real test is when one of them goes as the third wheel during a dinner date. Recently the Top Gun actor was captured, accompanying the Mexican star and her husband, François-Henri Pinault.The 60-year-old Golden Globe winner, and Suri Cruise’s dad, grabbed dinner with the couple in a London restaurant on Friday, July 15.Una publicación compartida por Salma Hayek Pinault (@salmahayek)The outing comes after Cruise’s success in the sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which has surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, outperforming Titanic.

Tom Cruise’s latest run at the box office has proven to be a major success, with "Top Gun: Maverick" becoming Paramount Pictures’ biggest hit. Fans of the first "Top Gun" film waited over 35 years for a sequel and ticket sales and reviews suggest it was well worth the wait. In the near seven weeks since its initial theatrical release in late May, "Top Gun: Maverick" has grossed $601.91 million domestically, becoming Paramount Picture’s highest grossing domestic film in its first run.

Selome Hailu Nickelodeon has elevated Sabrina Caluori to executive vice president and head of marketing and brand strategy. She enters the role as Jenny Wall exits as chief marketing officer, having stepped down this week.Caluori previously served as senior vice president of brand and content strategy.

EXCLUSIVE: Jenny Wall is leaving Nickelodeon after a three-year stint as Chief Marketing Officer. She will be succeeded by Sabrina Caluori who has been promoted to EVP and Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy for Nickelodeon. In her new position, Caluori, previously SVP, Brand and Content Strategy, will be leading on- and off-air consumer marketing, brand creative and content launches globally across the brand’s linear, digital and social platforms. She will report to Brian Robbins, President and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Officer, Kids & Family for Paramount+.

‘Top:Gun Maverick’ has had impressive success at the box office since premiering, achieving more than $1 billion dollars worlwide and making history as the first Tom Cruise film to make this happen.After breaking the record for biggest opening over Memorial Day weekend with an estimated $156 million dollars domestically during the four-day weekend, taking the place of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ in 2007, ‘Maverick’ has now crossed the $1 billion mark.Paramount reported that this is the second-highest-grossing film in their long history behind the 1997 film Titanic, in reference to domestic figures. “It’s rare to get the special kind of alchemy that creates a true event film, and we have been absolutely blown away by the global response,” Brian Robbins, Paramount Pictures‘ president and CEO, stated.Tom Cruise is currently enjoying the success of the film, as this is the first project in his long Hollywood career, reaching more than $1 billion worldwide.This is also the second movie to make $1 billion at the global box office post-pandemic, getting to the level of success as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which was released in December 2021.The actor recently shared his excitement with fans at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday that it is inviting 397 artists and executives to join the Oscar organizer’s membership ranks. The prospective 2022 class includes 71 Oscar nominees and 15 winners, with 44% of the invitees women, and 37% of the group belongs to underrepresented communities.

Selome Hailu Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin have been promoted to executive vice presidents and co-heads of Nickelodeon and Awesomeness live action series and film.They take their new positions after serving as senior vice presidents and co-heads of live action, and will now oversee all scripted live action Nickelodeon and Awesomeness series and movie content for Nickelodeon and Paramount+. They report to Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon and chief content officer of movies and kids and family for Paramount+.“Shauna and Zack are behind some of Nickelodeon’s biggest hits from ‘iCarly’ to ‘That Girl Lay Lay’ and have been entertaining kids and families across all our demos for years,” Robbins said.

Nickelodeon’s Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin have been promoted to EVPs and Co-Heads, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Live-Action Series and Films. The news was announced today by Brian Robbins, Paramount President & Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, and Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family, Paramount+.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentPart of what it describes as a bold and rapid expansion of its long-form animation department, London-based Oscar winning Passion Pictures has appointed Nicki Cortese as head of development for animated features and series.Cortese joins Pixar veteran David Park, a production manager on “Coco” and animation department manager on “Toy Story 3,” who was himself hired as Passion head of production for long-form animation in 2021, as well as executive producer Debbie Crosscup.Joining Passion ahead of Annecy, Cortese served as head of development for Elisabeth Murdoch’s Locksmith Animation, where she worked on Disney’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” as well as the just-announced Netflix feature “That Christmas,” based on children’s books by “Four Weddings and a Funeral’s ”Richard Curtis. Cortese had a first-look deal with Brian Robbins’ studio, Awesomeness Films, and, prior to that, oversaw the “Divergent”franchise at Red Wagon.