MGM/UA Marketing Chief Replaced

After a string of big-budget box office disappointments, MGM/UA has replaced its worldwide marketing and distribution president, Robert Levin, and has reorganized its distribution reporting structure.

Former Universal Pictures marketing executive Peter Adee will take the post of president of worldwide marketing but will not have responsibility for distribution. Erik Lomis, a 10-year MGM distribution executive who was promoted to president of the division in September, will oversee distribution and report directly to Chris McGurk, vice chairman and chief operating officer of MGM/UA. In addition, international distribution will report to McGurk.

The move comes at a critical time for MGM. The studio recently has seen several of its high-profile, big-budget films perform poorly at the box office, including “Rollerball,” “Hart’s War” and “Windtalkers.”

Two weeks ago, the studio issued a warning to Wall Street that nearly doubled its projected loss for the year to a range of 85 cents to 89 cents, blaming poor performance of “Windtalkers.” The wartime action film had a production budget of about $115 million; it opened to an anemic $14 million.

It’s not unusual for film studios to place blame on their marketing staffs when pictures, whether poorly reviewed or not, have lackluster performances at the box office. Levin’s departure comes just four months before the next installment of the studio’s biggest franchise, the James Bond film “Die Another Day,” opens in theaters.

Studio sources peg the “Windtalkers” domestic marketing budget at about $35 million with about $15 million to $20 million more spent on the film’s international release. Part of the marketing costs were incurred because of an interruption in the film’s ad campaign that came about as a result of MGM’s postponement of the film’s release. Not only did MGM suffer some post-Sept. 11 jitters in handling a war-themed film, but the studio also wanted to avoid recording hefty production costs last year.

Levin resigned after only a year in the post. During his tenure, he also worked on ad campaigns for the box office hit “Legally Blonde,” “Jeepers Creepers” and “Ghost World” and on the Academy Award campaign for “No Man’s Land.” Previously, he had served as president of marketing at Sony Corp.’s Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Group and oversaw marketing at Walt Disney Co.’s film division.

“Recently, Bob Levin approached us recommending we seek a replacement for worldwide marketing at MGM,” McGurk said in a statement released Sunday. “We immediately began a search for his successor. While we feel extremely fortunate to bring aboard an executive of Peter’s caliber, at the same time, we wish Bob nothing but the best.”

Adee worked on several campaigns for Universal during his year and a half as president of marketing, including “The Fast and the Furious” and “American Pie II.”

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Times staff writer Bonnie Harris contributed to this report.