I guess old Tom will need an anti-depressant soon... G
On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:15:50 +1000, Phil Edwards Cinema Arts wrote > All rather sounds like the Law of Diminishing Returns all round.... > diminished popularity, diminished credibility with female fans (used > to be a big chunk of his fan base) diminished box office, diminished > cognizance that the GP aren't generally interested in his religious > convictions, or actively find them to their dislike. > > And of course he's no longer a spring chicken. > > I'm reminded of the career arc of Stallone. We saw the beginning, > the middle and the fade-out to quiet (if well-heeled) semi- > retirement with the occasional announcement of a new Rambo. > > Or Harrison Ford... > > 20-30 years isn't a bad career as an actor who doesn't want to move > into another area like directing or writing. Phil > > David Kusumoto wrote: > > > *Front page of this morning's WSJ with all the grisly details....* > > > > ** > > > > *-koose.* > > > > > > > > ======================= > > > > ** > > <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115628557000642662.html? mod=todays_us_page_one> > > > > Sumner Redstone > > Gives Tom Cruise > > His Walking Papers > > > > Star Alienated Paramount; > > His Production Company > > Now May Go Independent > > > > By *MERISSA MARR* > > August 23, 2006; Page A1 > > > > As a nearly untouchable star for most of his 25-year movie career, Tom > > Cruise isn't used to Hollywood studios showing him the door. But after > > a year of Mr. Cruise's controversial and sometimes odd public > > behavior, the studio he has long called home is ushering him off the lot. > > > > [Tom Cruise] > > > > In an unusually public rebuke, *Viacom* Inc. Chairman Sumner Redstone > > said that his company's movie studio, Paramount Pictures, plans to end > > its 14-year relationship with the 44-year-old Mr. Cruise and his > > film-production company. In an interview, Mr. Redstone, who is 83, was > > clear about the reason: Mr. Cruise's public antics and incessant > > stumping for personal causes, notably Scientology, have become > > intolerable and have been a drag on ticket sales for films like > > "Mission: Impossible III." > > > > "It's nothing to do with his acting ability, he's a terrific actor," > > said Mr. Redstone. "But we don't think that someone who effectuates > > creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot." > > > > As a consequence, Paramount will not renew the expensive deal that has > > made the studio home to Cruise/Wagner Productions, the company Mr. > > Cruise owns with partner Paula Wagner. That deal in recent years paid > > Mr. Cruise and Ms. Wagner up to $10 million a year to develop films > > and operate an office on the Paramount lot. Mr. Cruise's > > representatives had indicated in recent weeks that the star might be > > willing to discuss a less-lucrative deal to stay at the studio. But > > now they are parting ways. > > > > "As much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew > > his deal," Mr. Redstone said. "His recent conduct has not been > > acceptable to Paramount." > > > > After being contacted by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Cruise's > > representatives presented a different version of events. They said > > that Mr. Cruise's production company had decided to set up an > > independent operation financed by two top hedge funds, which they > > declined to name. Ms. Wagner said such an arrangement represented a > > new business model for top actors prominent enough to take advantage > > of the flood of money coming into Hollywood from Wall Street. > > > > "This is a dream of Tom and mine," Ms. Wagner said. She challenged Mr. > > Redstone's assertion that Mr. Cruise's behavior had cost the studio > > ticket sales, pointing out that the star's movies have made the studio > > a huge amount of money. > > > > Mr. Cruise's agent, Rick Nicita of Creative Artists Agency, said Mr. > > Cruise was "offended" upon learning of Mr. Redstone's comments. "This > > was done in an incredibly graceless way," he said. > > > > The differing accounts of the split between Paramount and Mr. Cruise > > are a climax to more than a year of controversies that have badly > > dented Mr. Cruise's public image and, for the first time, called into > > question his once-unchallenged star power. Those events included Mr. > > Cruise's relentless promotion of the Church of Scientology, the > > religion founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. > > > > On NBC's Today show last summer, Mr. Cruise launched a sermon about > > the evils of antidepressants, taking a swipe at actress Brooke Shields > > who wrote about her use of the medicine to help cope with postpartum > > depression in her book "Down Came the Rain." Scientology is opposed to > > modern psychiatry and its medications. > > > > Open criticism of powerful stars was once rare in Hollywood. But > > celebrity clout has declined with the industry itself. The burgeoning > > celebrity press has overexposed big stars like Mr. Cruise and put a > > harsh spotlight on their every move, as seen in the scandal over Mel > > Gibson's drunk-driving incident in Malibu last month. > > > > [Sumner Redstone] > > > > Mr. Redstone's hard line signals the lack of patience studios have > > these days with expensive deals that don't deliver. Studios have been > > curbing profit-sharing deals and pulling out of costly movies. Even > > Jim Carrey, once one of Hollywood's hottest commodities, has been > > struggling to get movies off the ground: Paramount recently delayed > > his comedy "Ripley's Believe It or Not" and Twentieth Century Fox > > pulled the plug on another comedy, "Used Guys." > > > > One person familiar with the situation said Paramount had not, as of > > Tuesday morning, informed Mr. Cruise's camp that the studio would not > > renew the deal. Another person familiar with the situation said Mr. > > Cruise's camp also had not informed Paramount that they were working > > on a stand-alone production deal backed by hedge funds. > > > > Since setting up shop on the Paramount lot in 1992 with Ms. Wagner, > > his former agent, Mr. Cruise has enjoyed one of Hollywood's most > > lucrative studio deals. The studio's package included offices in > > Lucille Ball's old digs and a discretionary fund of up to $6 million > > to develop movie projects. Mr. Cruise also enjoyed a rich income from > > his movies that included 20% of the box-office revenue and a big chunk > > of DVD sales, among other things. > > > > For many years that made sense: Mr. Cruise was as close to a sure > > thing as it gets at the box office. During his time at Paramount, star > > vehicles from "Top Gun" to "War of the Worlds" have hauled in more > > than $3 billion at the box office alone. Mr. Redstone agrees with Ms. > > Wagner that Mr. Cruise made a lot of money for both the studio and > > himself over the years. > > > > [Sumner Redstone and Tom Cruise] > > /Sumner Redstone and Tom Cruise at a May screening of "Mission: > > Impossible III," in Los Angeles./ > > > > However, alarm bells began ringing in Paramount's executive suite last > > year when Mr. Cruise started letting his guard down in public. In > > 2004, he fired publicist Pat Kingsley, who had kept a tight lid on his > > public comments, and replaced her with his older sister and fellow > > Scientologist, Lee Anne De Vette. Soon, cracks started to appear in > > the public image of one of Hollywood's most controlled stars. He spoke > > openly about Scientology, even getting into heated arguments with > > reporters over his faith. In an interview with the German magazine Der > > Spiegel last year, Mr. Cruise lashed out after the reporter suggested > > that Scientology was a pseudoscience. > > > > In another interview, with Rolling Stone, Mr. Cruise took the reporter > > on a tour of the Scientology Center. > > > > An episode on Oprah Winfrey's television show was also widely > > ridiculed. He bounced exuberantly on her couch as he effused about his > > love for fiancée Katie Holmes. "He had never behaved this way before, > > he really went over the top," said Mr. Redstone, speaking about Mr. > > Cruise's behavior in general. > > > > As Paramount prepared to release "M:I:III," the studio realized that > > female fans were falling by the wayside, apparently turned off by Mr. > > Cruise's behavior. Paramount attempted to pull the focus back on the > > movie by having Mr. Cruise perform stunts at multiple screenings > > around the world, including jumping out of helicopters and speeding on > > race boats. > > > > Still, Mr. Redstone estimates that Mr. Cruise's behavior cost the > > movie between $100 million and $150 million in ticket sales. > > > > "It was the best of the three movies" in the series, said Mr. > > Redstone, saying that the first few minutes of the action adventure > > are "breathtaking." "While it will still be profitable, it grossed > > less than the other two movies." "M:I:III" sold $393 million in > > tickets at the box office world-wide, compared to $545 million for the > > second Mission Impossible movie and $457 million for the first. > > > > When Mr. Cruise's production deal expired this summer, Paramount > > jumped at the chance to do something about the situation. According to > > people familiar with the matter, Paramount told Mr. Cruise's camp that > > if they wanted to negotiate, Cruise/Wagner's price needed to drop into > > the ballpark of the deal that Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, > > has on the Paramount lot. Plan B gets about $2 million plus a $500,000 > > discretionary fund each year, according to people familiar with the > > situation. > > > > Senior Viacom managers, particularly Mr. Redstone, were eager to see > > Mr. Cruise leave. However, studio executives went through the motions > > of appearing to be willing to negotiate a new deal. > > > > At first there was little reaction from Mr. Cruise's camp. But his > > representatives subsequently signaled that they might be willing to > > engage in further discussion of the matter, people familiar with the > > situation said. Mr. Nicita said they later held off negotiating > > because they felt Paramount lacked a "respect, appreciation and > > gratitude" for Cruise/Wagner and Mr. Cruise. > > > > A senior executive at Paramount confirmed that, while there has been > > an offer on the table, there have been no conversations in the past > > several weeks. > > > > Ms. Wagner says her company in the meantime explored other options, > > including a deal with hedge funds to provide around $100 million in > > financing. > > > > "We want the freedom creatively to basically function as our own mini > > company where we make all the decisions," says Ms. Wagner. "We had a > > very good relationship with Paramount and we worked very diligently to > > try to make the arrangement work but our dream was to self finance." > > > > Despite his tough stance, Mr. Redstone says he has no hard feelings > > with Mr. Cruise, whom he has usually greeted with a hug when the two > > men see each other. "I feel badly," Mr. Redstone said. "Essentially > > he's a decent guy and a great actor." > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. -- Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
