Fox Exec Is Tapped by Paramount

The revival of one of Hollywood’s most storied movie studios now appears to be in the hands of three television veterans.

Newly minted Paramount Pictures Chief Executive Brad Grey late Tuesday was in final talks to hire Fox Entertainment President Gail Berman to be his second in command. The duo would be charged with revamping the studio by yet another longtime TV executive, Tom Freston, the former head of MTV Networks and current co-president of Paramount parent Viacom Inc.

Coming three weeks to the day after Grey moved into his office, Berman’s expected appointment as the studio’s top creative executive would send a clear signal that the former manager and longtime TV producer has no qualms about looking outside Paramount’s Melrose Avenue gates, and even the film business itself, in assembling his new team.

Berman’s selection also would reinforce Freston’s publicly stated strategy of producing edgier and irreverent films that appeal to younger audiences -- the same crowd attracted by the Fox network and MTV. A former Broadway producer, Berman, 47, has overseen a schedule that includes such signature Fox shows as “American Idol,” “24,” “The Simpsons” and “The O.C.”

Berman’s anticipated move, which took many on the Paramount and Fox lots by surprise, comes 14 tumultuous months after she became Fox’s main programming architect. Berman’s contract is set to expire in July.

But sources said renewal talks with her bosses at Fox parent News Corp., Chairman Rupert Murdoch and President Peter Chernin, have been dragging on as they wait for Berman to develop next season’s shows. Fox and Berman declined to comment.

In a recent interview with The Times, Berman hinted that she might be ready for a change. She described her current post as “relentless and all-consuming. I’ve never had a job like this.”

Asked whether she was planning to leave, Berman said she was more focused on developing hit shows than on plotting her next move. “It’s an unknown at this time,” she said. “We’ll just see.”

Berman is expected to be named president of Paramount, with a possible additional title. Still, no deal was finalized as of late Tuesday.

“We hope to conclude the discussions shortly,” Paramount said in a statement. “Ms. Berman is one of the most talented executives in the entertainment industry, with great relationships, exceptional taste and an amazing creative track record. She would be a great addition to the Paramount team.”

Grey’s quick move underscores the importance Viacom and Freston have placed on shaking up the studio, which has suffered from a dearth of blockbusters and big losses from such box-office duds as “The Stepford Wives” and “Alfie.”

Studio observers said tapping Berman for such a marquee position at the studio would be risky because it could accentuate what many believe to be Grey’s biggest weakness: his scant movie experience. He’s best known for producing such TV series as “The Sopranos,” “Just Shoot Me” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” Berman, meanwhile, has never worked in feature films.

Paramount has a long history of tapping TV executives for its top film spots, but with mixed results. Former ABC executives Barry Diller and Michael Eisner led a Paramount turnaround in the early 1980s. A decade later, however, the late Brandon Tartikoff failed to make the transition from NBC programming whiz to successful studio chief at Paramount.

On Tuesday, executives and producers with Paramount deals were reeling at the news that another cadre of TV executives were being handed the keys to the studio.

“It’s surreal,” said one Paramount producer. “They totally want to break from the status quo in a major way.”

Berman’s expected change of venue comes as Freston tries to restore luster to a studio with a rich history that includes “The Godfather,” “Chinatown” and “Forrest Gump.” But in recent years, the studio has been saddled with a reputation for being overly cautious and prone to making tired remakes.

People who’ve worked with Berman said Paramount was especially intrigued by her reputation as having a deft creative touch. Her track record as a former TV producer also includes such shows as the edgy comedy “Malcolm in the Middle” and the teen cult favorite “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

“She’s got great taste, she’s really responsible and she doesn’t suffer fools,” said producer Brian Grazer, whose Imagine Entertainment produces “24” and the quirky “Arrested Development” for Fox.

“Gail is as good as it gets,” said Lloyd Braun, a former ABC executive who is now head of the media group at Internet giant Yahoo Inc. “She’s a fantastic creative executive, knows material, has great relationships and is a great manager.”

Berman’s title and job duties were still being negotiated late Tuesday. Sources speculated that her duties would include not only production but also possibly marketing, distribution and even home entertainment.

Sources speculate that the hiring of Berman would foreshadow the departure of production chief Donald DeLine, who worked with former studio Chairwoman Sherry Lansing to package a potentially strong summer slate of films that include “The Longest Yard,” starring Adam Sandler, and Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds,” starring Tom Cruise. Some production executives fear that her hiring might also portend a housecleaning in Paramount’s creative ranks.

Turning around Paramount is a top priority for Viacom, which is seeking to mollify investors growing impatient with the company’s lagging stock price. Viacom is considering splitting the company in two. If that happens, Paramount would join MTV in being grouped under Freston.

Sources said Fox executives were caught off guard. Among those mentioned as possible replacements for Berman were Fox Television Studios President Angela Shapiro-Mathes; FX Networks Chief Executive Peter Liguori; and Dana Walden, president of 20th Century Fox Television.

For Berman, the Fox job has been especially demanding. She in effect assumed two jobs when her boss, Sandy Grushow, resigned as Fox Entertainment chairman in January 2004. In her recent interview with The Times, Berman said her days began at 4:30 a.m., 45 minutes before the first batch of ratings from Nielsen Media Research arrived via her bedroom fax.

Berman said she missed being in a more creative job and “the intimacy of the product” that came with it.

“There’s nothing like having one job to do: to take a piece of material and make it as excellent as you can and be creative with it and work with a fabulous group of people,” she said.

Berman also has been at the mercy of TV’s brutal ups and downs. Last year, she launched an ambitious year-round schedule only to watch many of the network’s new shows wither in the ratings. Unlike other networks -- which launch most of their new shows in September -- Fox must interrupt its entertainment schedule during the month of October, when the network airs Major League Baseball playoffs and the World Series.

Berman made a risky decision to hold off relaunching Fox’s hit “24” until January to coincide with the return of ratings phenomenon “American Idol.” That left the network gasping for air in November and December. In January, however, Fox roared back to life with a strong performance by both shows, as well as the success of the new medical drama “House.” The network is expected to finish the season in first place among the coveted 18- to 49-year-old viewers.

“She did a fabulous job for Fox,” said Bill Cella, chairman of advertising giant Magna Global. “She has stabilized things at Fox and she’s been user-friendly for advertisers. This is a loss for Fox. They’re going to be challenged without her.”

That challenge could get more daunting in the weeks ahead, as the network prepares its schedule for the upcoming year and tries to lure advertisers.

A week after Fox won the February “sweeps,” Berman said: “It’s been an overwhelming kind of year. When you’re living through challenging times, it’s imperative to stay focused and realize that this, too, shall pass.”

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Times staff writers Scott Collins and Rachel Abramowitz contributed to this report.