Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures disappear in Warner Bros. consolidation
By Robin Rowe
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 5/9/08 – “After much painstaking analysis, this was a difficult decision to make, but it reflects the reality of a changing marketplace and our need to prudently run our businesses with increased efficiencies,” says Warner Bros. president and COO Alan Horn. “With New Line now a key part of Warner Bros., we’re able to handle films across the entire spectrum of genres and budgets without overlapping production, marketing and distribution infrastructures.”

Time Warner had announced in February that it would consolidate its New Line Cinema film studio under Warner Bros. Entertainment, resulting in New Line’s co-chairmen and co-CEOs Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne leaving. That move resulted in 70% layoffs, closing New Line’s offices, and moving the remaining staff onto the Warner Bros. lot. The survivors will be kept busy to cover New Line Cinema, Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures.

Picturehouse has eight projects on its distribution slate, including ‘The Women’ starring Eva Mendes, Carrie Fisher, Meg Ryan, Cloris Leachman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen and Bette Midler.

Warner Independent Pictures has 26 projects on its distribution slate, including a remake of ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’. WIP has five projects listed in development for production, including ‘The DisAssociate’ from writer-director Zach Helm who made ‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’.

Rumors that MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies are facing a similar fate at Paramount were denied by a senior Paramount publicist. MTV Films has 24 projects listed in development including ‘Jackass 3’. Nickelodeon Movies recently released ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ and has 23 projects listed in development.