De Line May Be Named President of Paramount

Producer Donald De Line is expected to be named president of Paramount Pictures and vice chairman of its motion picture group, studio sources said. The move comes amid an executive shake-up aimed at reversing the studio’s sagging movie fortunes.

De Line, 45, succeeds John Goldwyn, who was forced to resign last month after a prolonged box-office slump. De Line’s production company has been based at the Viacom Inc.-owned studio for the last six years. Previously, he spent 13 years in the executive ranks at Walt Disney Co.

De Line produced one of Paramount’s only hits this year, “The Italian Job,” which grossed $105 million in U.S. theaters. But his only previous Paramount movie, the 2001 thriller “Domestic Disturbance,” was a disappointment. De Line also is a credited producer for Paramount’s “The Stepford Wives” and “Without a Paddle,” both set for release next year.

As head of Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, De Line oversaw such hits as “Armageddon,” “Father of the Bride” and “The Waterboy.”

Goldwyn was the third longtime senior executive, including the studio’s marketing chief, to leave Paramount under pressure after a string of flops that included the costly “Timeline,” “Beyond Borders” and “Tupac: Resurrection.” He now is a producer at Paramount.