I’m told that the DreamWorks financing deal with India’s media and entertainment conglomerate Reliance ADA — for at least $500 million – is almost completed and will be announced in the next week to 10 days. The Reliance people were in Los Angeles last week meeting with DreamWorks. I hear they also met with Jeffrey Katzenberg (whose public company DreamWorks Animation has an “out” clause from its Paramount distribution deal after 10 films…). However, David Geffen officially severs his ties with Paramount as soon as August, and Spielberg can leave in October. Then DreamWorks has to make a distribution deal, probably with Universal where Spielberg still keeps his office. To refresh your memories, Geffen had on speed dial the newest Big Media mogul names of Rajesh Sawhney and Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (one of the world’s Top 10 richest men) to help with a planned $1.2 billion total financing for DreamWorks 2.o, the new independent film company the principals are starting post-Paramount. The intent is to make about 6 movies a year. Meanwhile, DreamWorks and Paramount will battle over Spielberg’s exit and all that joint development. For instance, I just heard that Spielberg starts directing Tintin as soon as October — and there’s already confusion if this is a DreamWorks/Paramount or a DreamWorks 2.0 production.

  1. DreamWorks Finds Indian Big Bucks To Form New Film Biz
  2. Spielberg vs Paramount: The Real Story
  3. Still More Inaccurate Info Re DreamWorks
  4. Zucker Hints At Uni-DreamWorks Reunion
  5. NY Times Reports DreamWorks All Wrong
  6. Anchors Aweigh: Geffen & Murdoch Cruise
  7. Geffen Hits Back Redstone In Vanity Fair
  8. DreamWorks & NBC Universal Break Bread In Very Public Forum
  9. Spielberg Tells Grey He’s “Very Happy”
  10. Now Paramount/DreamWorks Deal Looks Better With Benefit Of 20/20 Hindsight
  11. ‘How High Do We Jump, Mr. Spielberg?’
  12. Their Dinner About Brad… Sumner Feasts
  13. NYT: Par Not A Dream Deal For Spielberg
  14. Finke/LA Weekly: Brad’s Boorish Globes
  15. Geffen To Redstone: Hire Jeffrey. Redstone to Geffen: No.

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