Welcome to Paramount, Ms. Berman

Gail Berman will sit down at a new desk Monday morning, having left Fox Entertainment for Paramount. This marks one of the more significant exchanges in the great game of musical chairs playing out in the Hollywood Executive Suites this spring. But she won't be alone. Par has also just inked a consulting deal with former Warner Bros Co-President Bob Daly. This was a good idea for Par, in the midst of an on-going remodeling, spearheaded by Chairman Brad Grey. Daly has green-lit more than 400 film projects, according to a Variety article today. Grey, Berman, and Co-President Tom Freston have backgrounds weighted heavily towards Television, so a film veteran is exactly what they needed on their team.
While waiting for Berman's transition from Fox, Grey has been managing the day to day operations of the studio, overseeing several high profile deals over the past few months. This is a change of strategy for Par, which has usually favored the cautious and stable approach. But when executives started leaving, and instability was thrust upon them, Grey decided to make the most of it and make the move towards riskier projects with name-brand stars and a younger target audience. (Mission: Impossible 3, Transformers, and a Brad Pitt drama top the still slim slate for 2006.)
So welcome to Paramount, Ms. Berman. We wish you the best. And if you're looking for a new assistant, drop me a line. Cream & sugar with your coffee?