Jerry Bruckheimer, Paramount reach three-year first-look deal

Jerry Bruckheimer is going back to Paramount Pictures.

The veteran producer and the studio have signed a three-year agreement for theatrical films beginning in April, the parties said Friday.

This comes less than three months after the Walt Disney Co. and Bruckheimer said they would be ending their partnership that has lasted for more than 20 years.

The deal with Paramount marks a return to the studio where Bruckheimer had several big hits, including “Top Gun,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Flash Dance.”

“Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most creative and prolific producers in motion picture history,” said Brad Grey, the studio’s chairman and chief executive, in a statement. “His signature style has attracted huge global audiences and we are thrilled to have him back in the Paramount family.”

The first movie to come out of the deal will be a new “Beverly Hills Cop,” which is being written for Eddie Murphy. Bruckheimer and Paramount are also planning “Top Gun 2,” starring Tom Cruise.

“It is great to be back at Paramount,” Bruckheimer said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Brad Grey and his entire team.”

In September, Bruckheimer and Disney announced that their first-look deal will not be renewed when it expires in 2014.

That long-standing partnership resulted in 27 movies, including blockbusters such as “The Rock,” “Armageddon” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. The “Pirates” movies have grossed about $3.73 billion worldwide.

It also included some high-profile disappointments, such as “The Lone Ranger,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

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ryan.faughnder@latimes.com