DreamWorks new chief is Snider? We dost smell the heavy cologne of Geffen!

The L.A. Times has confirmed the rumor that's been circulating for weeks: Universal Pictures chairman Stacy Snider is negotiating to leave her post to become the new head of DreamWorks Pictures, now owned by Paramount. Truly, this move by Paramount chairman Brad Grey defines "insult to injury," but it's especially ironic given that G.E. kind of brought this on themselves when they aborted NBC Universal's purchase of DreamWorks and sent the G in Dreamworks SKG into paroxysms of rage. Back in January, Variety's editor-in-chief Peter Bart alluded to how the scrubbed DreamWorks deal might effect imminent regime change at Universal, via the classic "I can't pull the trigger on this as a full-blown a story yet, so I'll put it in a column" tactic. Viz, "Over at Universal, the top players feel that General Electric, in short-circuiting the DreamWorks deal, revealed its ambiguous attitude toward its entertainment industry holdings. G.E. is known to be fretful about the downturn in movie admissions. Further, consumers are being afforded new ways to navigate their media pipelines and it's unclear how this will impact content-providers. G.E.'s ambiguity makes Universal and NBC nervous, and nervous executives tend to look elsewhere for nesting places." It's funny how life works: Last summer, everyone thought Stacy would be overseeing DreamWorks by now - it's just that everyone thought she'd be doing it at Universal, not Paramount. Of course, Snider's deal doesn't expire until next year, and Eller is careful to note that negotiations aren't the same as new business cards. But what is interesting is how firmly - for once - Grey moved to dispel the idea that his embattled and inexperienced production chief Gail Berman no longer has his confidence. Paramount chief Brad Grey, to whom Snider would report, also declined to discuss the possibility of hiring Snider. However, he was eager to deny rumors that Snider would be hired to replace Paramount President Gail Berman, a veteran television executive who has had a rocky transition to her new movie job. "Gail has been a winner her entire career," Grey said. "She has my full support and confidence." Now, that's how you kill a rumor, Bradley!

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DreamWorks new chief is Snider? We dost smell the heavy cologne of Geffen!

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