Film: A widely circulated Hollywood rumor came...

Film: A widely circulated Hollywood rumor came to pass Thursday when former MGM Chairman Alan Ladd Jr. signed an exclusive three-year production deal with Paramount Pictures. Ladd is close to Paramount Chairman Sherry Lansing, who’s stepping up production at the studio. The deal was arranged by Jim Wiatt and Guy McElwaine of International Creative Management. Ladd resolved his contract dispute with MGM last week. Daily Variety estimated that the settlement guarantees him as much as $10 million. In other developments, Cinetel Films has sold its 26-title library to Dallas-based Future Communications for $8 million.