DreamWorks Taps De Luca for Production

Michael De Luca, who was fired from New Line Cinema in January after 16 years with that company, is joining DreamWorks Pictures as head of production.

De Luca will oversee development and production of the company’s movies as well as daily operations of the division, reporting directly to Walter Parkes, co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, and to principal Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Though De Luca is respected in the industry for his generally strong creative instincts, strong talent relationships and willingness to take risks on projects, he was ousted at New Line after a disastrous year at the box office, capped by the costly flop “Little Nicky,” starring Adam Sandler.

De Luca was fired days after New Line parent Time Warner merged with America Online. Under De Luca’s watch, the costs of some of New Line’s productions were considered bloated, especially given the company’s history of making inexpensive off-beat movies.

During his seven-year tenure as head of production, De Luca was responsible for some of the company’s biggest hits, including the “Austin Powers” series, Jim Carrey’s “The Mask” and “Dumb and Dumber,” the Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman thriller “Seven,” “Rush Hour” and “The Wedding Singer.” But he was also responsible for such box office disappointments as “Bamboozled,” “Lost Souls” and the long-delayed romantic comedy “Town & Country,” which cost more than $80 million to produce and has grossed only about $7 million.