Paramount Chief Said to Be Wooing Top TV Producer

Fresh from landing the biggest name in movies, Steven Spielberg, Paramount Pictures Corp. Chairman Brad Grey is aggressively pursuing the hottest young producer in television, according to three sources close to the talks.

Grey, who this week reached an agreement to buy DreamWorks SKG, the company Spielberg co-founded in 1994, has simultaneously been wooing J.J. Abrams, these sources said. Abrams, 39, is the co-creator of two of the most high-profile shows on TV: the island mystery “Lost” and the cult favorite “Alias,” both of which air on ABC.

Abrams has been based for seven years on the Burbank lot of ABC’s parent company, Walt Disney Co. But for the last several months, he has been working for Paramount, where he is now editing the studio’s $175-million “Mission Impossible: 3.”

The movie, which stars Tom Cruise and marks Abrams’ feature directorial debut, has given Grey an opening. According to two sources close to the discussions, the studio chief is tempting the writer-producer-director with an all-encompassing deal to make movies, television shows and possibly even video games and take part in Internet ventures for Paramount.

Grey has had several conversations with Abrams and his representatives about relocating his production company, Bad Robot, to the studio’s Melrose lot, according to sources who, like several interviewed for this story, declined to be quoted because discussions were continuing.

These sources stressed that the parties did not expect to begin contractual negotiations until early next year. Grey declined to comment, and Abrams did not return calls.

Abrams’ current deal with Disney, which covers only TV projects, expires in July. Disney executives know about Grey’s overtures but have talked to Abrams only about extending his TV deal, not about expanding it to include feature films, according to two sources.

Grey has made clear that he wants to shore up Paramount’s TV production business. The purchase of DreamWorks for $1.6 billion, which is expected to close by the end of January, includes a small TV operation with such shows as “Spin City” in its library and several projects in development.

But luring Abrams to the Paramount lot would be a coup for Grey -- and a major loss for Disney. In addition to “Lost” and “Alias,” Abrams is launching a new ABC drama, “What About Brian,” which is tentatively scheduled to air in March.

Grey knows more about TV than he does about movies. He built his career as a talent manager and TV producer of such shows as “The Sopranos” and “Just Shoot Me.” Since coming to the studio in March, he has also drafted Gail Berman, who used to run the entertainment division at News Corp.’s Fox network, as Paramount president and his second in command.

Abrams and his representatives are expected to make a business proposal to Paramount, Disney and other interested studios and networks early next year, sources said. That proposal could launch a bidding war among the rival media companies, including Fox and General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal, which privately have said they would jump at the chance to bring Abrams and his company into their fold.

Grey has repeatedly asked to see the proposal, sources said, including making a call to Abrams’ representatives this week, sources said. That call came just days after Paramount swooped in to snatch DreamWorks out of the hands of NBC Universal.

Grey has worked for months to foster a good working relationship with Abrams. Last summer, just weeks before the latest “Mission Impossible” was supposed to begin production in Italy, Grey threatened to pull the plug amid concerns of a budget bloated in part by Cruise’s lucrative profit-sharing arrangement.

Grey argued that when combined with Cruise’s deal, the film’s proposed budget of more than $185 million made Paramount’s investment too risky. Over and above that total was more than $30 million in pre-production shutdown costs that Paramount had incurred after the film’s production was postponed in 2004.

After an intense week of haggling with Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner, Grey emerged from the closely watched standoff with a slimmer budget and an agreement from Cruise to take a smaller cut. And Abrams got to make his movie.

Production began July 18, and Paramount plans to release the movie May 5, the start of the summer blockbuster season.

After taking the reins at Paramount, Grey quickly began bringing fresh talent to the studio, including his former management client Brad Pitt and film director Mark Waters, whose credits include “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday.”

Grey’s interest in TV, meanwhile, appears linked to the imminent breakup of the studio’s parent, Viacom Inc. Within weeks, the media giant will split into two publicly traded companies: Viacom -- which includes Paramount, MTV Networks and soon DreamWorks -- and CBS Corp.

CBS will get all of Viacom’s current TV operations, including CBS Paramount Television, which produces the “CSI” franchise, “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Dr. Phil,” as well as King World, which syndicates “Oprah” and “Wheel of Fortune.”

The son of successful TV-movie producer Gerald Abrams, J.J. Abrams got his start screenwriting in the late 1980s when Disney bought his first screenplay, “Taking Care of Business.” The 1990 movie starred Jim Belushi and Charles Grodin.

Abrams went on to write several features, including co-writing 1998’s “Armageddon.” That same year, Abrams created the TV series “Felicity,” which was co-produced by Disney’s Touchstone Television and ran for four seasons on the WB network, which is owned by Time Warner Inc. and Los Angeles Times parent Tribune Co.

His cult hit “Alias,” about a gorgeous young spy (played by Jennifer Garner) who works as a double agent for the CIA, secured Abrams’ status as a TV producer to watch. And last year, his status was cemented when he and Damon Lindelof created “Lost,” one of the most popular and lucrative shows on television.