Paramount And DiCaprio Ink 3yr Production Pact

Paramount And DiCaprio Ink 3yr Production Pact

$VIA, $TWX, $LGF

The 1st-look deal is effective immediately.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions has signed a 3-year, 1st-look production deal with Paramount Pictures a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ:VIA), it was announced Wednesday by DiCaprio and Paramount CEO Brad Grey.

Mr. DiCaprio’s company, which previously had a deal at Warner Bros. a unit of Time Warner (NYSE:TWX), currently has projects in development at Paramount as follows:

1. The Devil in the White City, based on the book by Erik Larson about a serial killer in 1890’s Chicago, which is being adapted by screenwriter Billy Ray and will reunite DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese;
2. Sandcastle Empire, an adaptation of Kayla Olson’s novel about an apocalyptic future in which the climate is collapsing; an untitled project about the recent Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal based on a book proposal by The New York Times’ Jack Ewing;
3. A limited TV series based on A. Scott Berg’s biography of Charles Lindbergh.

Appian Way’s upcoming films include Ben Affleck’s period crime tale Live by Night, starring Affleck and Scott Eastwood, which Warners will release in Y 2017, and Robin Hood: Origins, starring Taron Egerton, which Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) will release in Y 2017.

The film and production company was launched by DiCaprio with its first production, 2004’s The Assassination of Richard Nixon, followed closely by The Aviator. Jennifer Davisson serves as its president of production. Other projects in its pipeline include Jaume Collet Serra’s adaptation of the Japanese anime science-fiction Akira, written by Dante Harper; Joseph Kosinski’s film adaptation of The Twilight Zone; and an untitled Richard Jewell project starring Jonah Hill.

Appian Way has been involved in producing such films as the recent Oscar winner The Revenant, The Wolf of Wall Street, released by Paramount, Out of the Furnace, Ides of March, Shutter Island, a Paramount release, and Public Enemies.

“Leo is one of the great talents of our time,” Grey said in announcing the deal. “He is a masterful actor, storyteller and producer, with impeccable taste and skill that has shaped his extraordinary career. Our first project together was The Departed, before I came to Paramount. Since then, working with the legendary Martin Scorsese, we have partnered on two wonderful pictures, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street. We are proud and excited to grow our relationship with him, [his manager] Rick Yorn, Jennifer Davisson and the entire team at Appian Way.”

DiCaprio commented, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Brad and the team at Paramount Pictures on a number projects throughout my career. I can not think of a better home for Appian Way as we continue our growth.”

Stay tuned…

HeffX-LTN

Paul Ebeling

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