Get those resumes ready. Universal Pictures, Warner Bros Pictures and, yes, still Paramount Pictures now have gaps in their PR folds. The latest to exit is Stacy Ivers, senior VP of media relations who flacked for Marc Schmuger and David Linde for the past 18 months after coming over from Warner Bros. (Ivers showed remarkable restraint during my coverage crapping on Evan Almighty.) The job will now report to Michael Moses. And the woman who took her place there, Andrea Marozas, just left Warner Bros Pictures as senior VP of corporate communications, theatrical, for a cushy job as VP of internal communications at HP. (I drove Marozas to the brink when I spanked her boss Jeff Robinov.) There's a possibility the job won't be re-filled, but that would be ridiculous.
Disney for a long time didn't replace Dennis Rice when he left the motion picture division as senior VP of publicity to come over to United Artists as czar of marketing. Then, last May, the studio quietly promoted Teri Meyer to a newly created position of executive VP of worldwide publicity for Walt Disney Studios motion picture marketing and Jasmine Madatian even more quietly as head of domestic publicity. But Paramount still has a big (and high-paying) PR opening ever since Janet Hill was dumped as Brad Grey's exec VP of corporate communications last June. Meanwhile, NYC-based Steven Rubenstein (the son of PR legend Howard, aka "The Fixer") has been fielding media calls for Brad while the studio continues to interview. Steven in turn is looking to add a bigtime entertainment PR exec for Rubenstein Communications.
There've also been PR changes at two of Hollywood's talent agencies. David Shane recently left ICM after 3 years as senior VP of corporate communications to take the hefty job of senior VP and head of the corporate and entertainment practices at Weber Shandwick, Los Angeles, where ICM is now a client. (Shane deftly disarmed me when I kept reloading during the Limato-Silbermann war.) His No. 2 at ICM, Michelle Suess, was promoted to VP of corporate communications. At William Morris, Christian Muirhead was upped to the agency's VP of corporate communications after Cecile Ablack didn't last long as Jim Wiatt's handpicked senior VP of global corporate communications. (Words cannot express how I disliked this rude bitch.)
” (Words cannot express how much I hated this rude bitch.)”
still laughing.
Comment by HK — March 17, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
“Words cannot express how I disliked this rude bitch.” Nikki, I’d wager a not insubstantial amount of money that those same words have been uttered about you numerous times, my dear.
Comment by Can't Take it Anymore — March 17, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
You bet there’s going to be some PR turnover.
The AMPTP PR campaign (overseen by each of the major studios and networks)was a disaster on so many levels for the group it has both big time producers and major studio exec’s thinking maybe some of the studio bombs can be laid at the feet of these PR mavens.
When a film like NEXT (based on Phillip K. Dick material and starring Nick Cage lands on a studio PR desk and they cut two trailers and cross their fingers someone there is failing in their job.
Now that the PR Dept’s have been discovered to be less than competent at their corporate duties much less there sales duties so heads will roll.
Comment by reelbusy — March 17, 2008 @ 10:59 pm
reelbusy: PR departments have absolutely nothing to do with cutting trailers, so your NEXT analogy is useless.
Comment by Can't Take It Anymore — March 18, 2008 @ 8:43 am
Speaking of disliked rude bitches, how the hell did Jasmine Madatian ever get another job after her disastrous tenure at Paramount?
Comment by ohpuhleez — March 18, 2008 @ 10:15 am