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So one of my tipsters was dining at Trattoria Amici in Beverly Hills last night when he spied Steven Spielberg, Stacey Snider, Ron Meyer and GE bossman Jeffrey Immelt all sitting at a corner table and having a swell time. OK, I know what you're thinking: where was Jeff Zucker? Elsewhere. But before tongues wag, I'm told by a DreamWorks source that "Jeff [Zucker] had just spent the better part of the afternoon with Steven planning out the [post-fire] rebuild of the backlot with Universal. So Jeff's absence is not of any significance." I agree. As for Immelt, he had come to town for a general meeting with NBC today. "And it felt like the right time to reconnect given everything that's going on. It was a social dinner about nothing specific," my insider says. ("Amici" is Italian for "friends").
Meanwhile, various insiders tell me the DreamWorks/Reliance deal is all done and likely to be signed any day. That's when David Geffen will formally resign from Paramount -- which then triggers Spielberg's and Snider's ability to follow him. ("We're not looking for a fight. There's no reason to sour the relationship more when there are 40 or so projects still to produce as part of the contract when we leave," a source told me.)
Last night's dinner with Immelt, and yesterday's Spielberg-Zucker confab, shows how inevitable a DreamWorks distribution deal with NBC Universal will be. "No one has had a conversation about the terms or the timing of a distribution deal yet," a DreamWorks source tells me. "We've really just been focused on the Reliance deal." Sure, if Geffen had his way, he'd love to pit Hollywood studios against one another to bid for DreamWorks' distribution. ("David works best when he's got leverage, and choice would work in Steven's favor," an insider told me.) But given how Spielberg sees Universal as his professional home (he never moved his offices even after Paramount bought DreamWorks), I've always assumed he'd land there. Now, with Immelt and Zucker paying homage, it looks like a done deal.
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Just Steven Spielberg, Stacey Snider, Ron Meyer and Jeffrey Immelt are having a social dinner?
Without any spouses?
That’s not social that’s business.
Call me crazy, but could Steven Spielberg soon be riding in as a white knight for NBC? It sure seems like it according to this report. Personally, I don’t think it would be announced shortly, but we are talking possible WOW factor if Steven becomes NBC Entertainment President.
im suorised that uber moron ben silverman wasnt trying to get his nose in this. he seems to find the party as easy as a truffle sniffing whore
Jessy S…
Spielberg as NBC Entertainment President?!? When one has as much money as God and more success than can be measured, do you think that person covets a title?
Doubt it. Though Lew Wasserman did have a title only those who didn’t know him thought it important to use it.
He was simply Lew Wasserman and he was the God of Universal.
That said, surely the DreamWorks group would/will be a presence at Universal and their influence nearly immeasurable. And that will be the good news.
Steven Spielberg makes sense in Jeff Zucker’s world and his appointment as NBC Entertainment President wouldn’t make sense, but it would cause advertisers to fork money over to the peacock network. As you said fyfas, Steven could become a Lew Wasserman type and might help prevent a writers strike in 2011 though he might hurt the AMPTP in the process.
Spielberg as NBC’s white knight?
Yes, he did so well for them years ago with “Amazing Stories”.
Two seasons of boredom, interspersed with dullness & punctuated by commercials.
The only reason it stayed on for two seasons was an ironclad contract, similar to the one that kept that disastrous mess, “Joey” on for two years.
To Unindicted Co-conspirator:
I guess you hated Amazing Stories. That is just one man’s opinion. If the series was that bad, why did it last two years? If most people thought it was bad, Steven Spielberg would have seen this masterpiece get canned by NBC and contracts cancelled so fast that NBC would have taken a minor hit due to hits like Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, LA Law, Miami Vice, and Hill Street Blues. I am guessing the real reason Amazing Stories ended was because Spielberg wanted to film a certain movie about the holocaust. I think we all know the final title to that movie.
As for Joey, the only reason why it stuck around for two seasons is thanks to the clearheaded thinking of Lord Jeff Zucker. First, Jeff gave Joey the treatment that was given to the Cosby Show in 1984 in which both series got 24 episodes its first season. The only thing was that The Cosby Show deserved that 24 episode order while Joey deserved to be cancelled after 13 episodes. For all the money wasted on Joey, NBC could have brought back both Friends and Fraiser for two more seasons and 24 episodes each and still have the cash to create all their current comedies and more.
FYI: I don’t remember Amazing Stories that much, but it wouldn’t fly in today’s world due to cast changes almost every week and two years worth of this cost much more than Joey adjusted for inflation. If the series was crap, NBC would have cancelled it right away.
Just one more thing, Amazing Stories did win a number of Emmys during its brief run while Joey won nothing.
Jessy S…
You REALLY think that Amazing Stories ended because Spielberg wanted to make SCHINDLER’S LIST?!? That HE pulled the plug?
If so, I don’t really know how to categorize the thought. Naive? Do you work in this business?
Spielberg Exec Produced Amazing Stories and yes, directed some. But many others were the real people that “got it done” likely with much input from others.
To think that Steven would have had to “sacrifice” directing features as you seem to think so as to concentrate on Amazing Stories at any level of success is, well, just an “amazing” proposition.
Sorry.
My recollection from my time at the Studio was that there was general disappointment then that the show’s numbers weren’t better though everyone thought that it was an excellent program.
Earth to fyfas, Hello, Steven created the show which means he produced it and likely heard pitches for individual episodes including the two he directed. Plus the series went against MacGyver for its entire run and there were lower rated shows that survived. Steven likely let NBC cancel the series so he can get back to making movies full time.
“Steven likely let NBC cancel the series so he can get back to making movies full time.”
Thanks for enlightening me Jessy. NOW I get it. You’re a comedian; should’ve known.
Hmm… wonder what Sid Sheinberg thought about this; “buds” that they were (then and still). Wonder how he felt about the write-downs. Maybe Sid et al were so pissed and maybe it became Sid’s idea to make a run on NBC to buy it before GE even thought there was money to be made in something other than light bulbs and refrigerators.
Hmm… oh, you’ve got me thinking now. I LOVE conspiracy theories/explanations. If only I could write, too. Thanks.
Note to self: Deadline Hollywood is “read only”.