Back to rock roots

Lobell ankles U for first-look deal at Castle

By DAVE MCNARY

Producer Mike Lobell (“Honeymoon in Vegas”) is leaving Universal Pictures after four years to return to Castle Rock Entertainment in a multiyear first-look deal.

Lobell will make the switch June 1 after being released from his contract with Universal, which has two years to run. In order to operate with a small overhead, he will not bring along his staff to Castle Rock, except for an assistant.

“I’m going back to my roots,” Lobell said. “I’m not leaving Universal with any acrimony and I have great relationships with (Universal Studios chief) Ron Meyer and (Universal Pictures chairman) Stacey Snider. But I had so much fun and success with Castle Rock that I believe it will be more conducive to my personality.”

While at Universal, Lobell’s company delivered “Isn’t She Great,” which disappointed at the box office, and saw the departure of 19-year production partner Andrew Bergman to become a free agent director. He plans to continue developing family comedy “Disorderly Conduct” and heist-comedy “Gambit” for Universal while taking sci-fi romance “Mainland,” action project “Man of War” and drama-romance “This Man, This Woman” to Castle Rock.

While at Castle Rock, Lobell and Bergman delivered “Little Big League,” “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “Striptease.”

“Mike Lobell is an aggressive producer with great taste,” Castle Rock prexy Martin Shafer said. “He will definitely help us.”

Lobell’s other producer credits include “It Could Happen to You,” “The Journey of Natty Gann,” “White Fang,” “The Freshman,” “Chances Are,” “So Fine” and “Undercover Blues.”