Paramount Profits Soar

TrekToday · June 23 2008, 11:41 PM

Paramount is the first studio this year to cross the billion dollar milestone in domestic gross shares.

As reported by ComingSoon.net, Paramount, which crossed the billion dollar mark in international box office sales last weekend, did the same for domestic gross sales this week.

Helped along by films such as J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield, which earned eighty million dollars, Iron Man, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount beat last year's billion dollar record by nearly three weeks.

"It has been a wonderful year so far," said Paramount Chairman Brad Grey. "As we look towards the rest of 2008, and into 2009, when we will have 'Transformers II,' J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek,' 'G.I. Joe' and 'Nowhereland' starring Eddie Murphy, among others, we are as excited about the future as we are by reaching this milestone."

This is the second year in a row that Paramount has led the pack. In addition, they have had five consecutive weeks of holding the number one spot in domestic market share and as of this weekend, will have had the top three grossing films of 2008 at mid-year.

To read more, head to the article located here.

James Bond · June 24 2008, 12:06 AM

It's nice to see Brad Grey mention Star Trek. I thought he was anti-Star Trek. Wasn't he one of the biggest supporters of the Enterprise cancellation?

ancient · June 24 2008, 04:19 AM

Well, cancelling Enterprise was logical from the bussiness $$$ pov. But he sure ain't biased against making loads of money if it's New! and Different! Abrams has sold Trek to the suits. Or rather, resold it.

Abrams didn't slap a new coat of paint on the clunker, he built a new car. Based on the old one, yes. Four tires, yes. But not the clunker.

number6 · June 24 2008, 06:05 AM

James Bond wrote:

. Wasn't he one of the biggest supporters of the Enterprise cancellation?

That was Les Moonves.

Tulin · June 24 2008, 08:13 AM

Then Les Moonves went up in my estimation.

ENT was a dead horse before a single frame aired. Fact it lasted four years was, in itself a travesty.

James Bond · June 24 2008, 08:28 AM

Tulin wrote:

Then Les Moonves went up in my estimation.

ENT was a dead horse before a single frame aired. Fact it lasted four years was, in itself a travesty.

So you went in with your mind made up, without having even seen it?

ChristopherPike · June 24 2008, 09:10 AM

Not a single dime from me...

Dennis · June 24 2008, 08:22 PM

"Star Trek: Enterprise" lasted four years because it made money for Paramount, and still does today; in this way it differs from almost everything else other than "Voyager" ever run on the now-defunct UPN. It doesn't matter if some fans want to call it a "travesty."

Paramount's gotten some money from me this year for "Iron Man" and "Cloverfield." Glad to give it to 'em.

Augustus · June 25 2008, 12:41 AM

I am glad to see Paramount doing well

Data Holmes · June 26 2008, 04:17 PM

Anyone else hear the rumor that Berman had a clause in his contract that if Enterprise was cancled before it reached five seasons, that he would lose the trek franchise? And that this was the major factor going into the decision not to give it the fifth season, dispite manny coto's tenure increasing ratings and fan opinion?

cultcross · June 26 2008, 04:36 PM

hutt359 wrote:

Anyone else hear the rumor that Berman had a clause in his contract that if Enterprise was cancled before it reached five seasons, that he would lose the trek franchise? And that this was the major factor going into the decision not to give it the fifth season, dispite manny coto's tenure increasing ratings and fan opinion?

Hadn't heard that. I suspect it's not true, particularly the bit about such a clause influencing the decision to cancel.
Besides, if ENT got cancelled at any point he lost the Trek franchise, as that was all there was of it at that point.

Dennis · June 26 2008, 05:30 PM

hutt359 wrote:

Anyone else hear the rumor that Berman had a clause in his contract that if Enterprise was cancled before it reached five seasons, that he would lose the trek franchise? And that this was the major factor going into the decision not to give it the fifth season, dispite manny coto's tenure increasing ratings and fan opinion?

No, because that would be a fabrication based on someone's fantasy.

For one thing, there was no improvement in the ratings under Coto's tenure. They continued to decline.

And in fact Paramount continued to pay Berman and paid to have a Trek movie proposal developed under his administration until his contract actually did expire a year or two later.

Temis the Vorta · June 26 2008, 08:36 PM

hutt359 wrote:

Anyone else hear the rumor that Berman had a clause in his contract that if Enterprise was cancled before it reached five seasons, that he would lose the trek franchise? And that this was the major factor going into the decision not to give it the fifth season, dispite manny coto's tenure increasing ratings and fan opinion?

I heard it was cancelled before Coto took over, and Coto was a mere caretaker. The fact that he did so well was nice, but changed nothing.

Aragorn · June 26 2008, 11:53 PM

James Bond wrote:

So you went in with your mind made up, without having even seen it?

You realize you're on TrekBBS, right?