Blumhouse Moves to Paramount

Blumhouse Moves to Paramount

LOS ANGELES, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Producer Jason Blum has a signed a three year, first look deal to bring his shingle, Blumhouse Productions, to Paramount Pictures, it was announced today by Gail Berman, President, Paramount Pictures. The deal is the first the five year old production company has made with a major film studio. Blumhouse will be based on the Paramount lot.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050519/LATH082) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO)

"As soon as I met Jason, I knew his sensibilities and understanding of the movie business were consistent with ours. He represents a new generation of filmmakers that Paramount wants to foster," said Brad Grey, Paramount Chairman and CEO.

"In addition to his unparalleled experience as an executive and an independent producer, Jason has great taste in material, and a wealth of relationships not only in LA, but in New York and internationally that few producers today can claim," added Berman. "He will bring to Paramount a fresh perspective on filmmaking."

"Paramount is by far the most exciting studio in Hollywood. The energy on the lot is palpable," said Blum. "Brad Grey, Gail Berman, Alli Shearmur and Brad Weston are an exceptional team; they share fearlessness and a creative passion that I find unique and deeply inspiring. I couldn't be happier that Blumhouse is joining forces with such a trendsetting organization."

Blumhouse is currently in post production on Icon Entertainment's upcoming film, The Darwin Awards, starring Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes. Blum also serves as executive producer on Alexandra Shiva's documentary, Stagedoor, which premiered at the 2005 South by Southwest festival.

Blumhouse Productions is wrapping up its first look deal with HBO, where it has two theatrical feature films in development -- Untitled Bernie Project, to be directed by Richard Linklater and Generation Slut, to be directed by Miguel Arteta.

Blum produced The Fever, a film starring Vanessa Redgrave, Angelina Jolie, Michael Moore and Jolie Richardson, to air on HBO in 2006; Emmy-nominated Hysterical Blindness, starring Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Lewis and Ben Gazarra, which ran on HBO in 2002 and earned Thurman a Golden Globe; and Hamlet, starring Ethan Hawke, Kyle McLachlan, Julia Stiles, Bill Murray, Steve Zahn and Sam Shepard, which was theatrically released by Miramax in 2000.

Prior to becoming an independent producer, Blum was co-head of the Acquisitions and Co-Productions department at Miramax Films in New York from 1996 to 2000, where he helped the company acquire such films as The Others, Smoke Signals, Mrs. Brown, Ideal Husband, Walk on the Moon, House of Yes, and Kolya. He was also Executive Vice President of Arrow Entertainment, where he bought over 60 films, including Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen. While at Arrow, Blum was Producing Director of the Malaparte Theater Company in New York City.

The deal was brokered by CAA.

About Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIAB), one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment news, sports and music.

Contacts:

M. Janet Hill for Gail Berman Andrea Marozas for Jason Blum

310.752-8073 310-854-3865

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050519/LATH082 NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Paramount Pictures

CONTACT: M. Janet Hill, +1-310-752-8073, for Gail Berman; or Andrea Marozas, +1-310-854-3865, for Jason Blum

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