Film Report Card: Paramount Pictures

By VARIETY STAFF

"One of the things that we say to each other is consistency of management allows you to put in place long-term strategies," said Robert Friedman, vice chairman of the motion picture group. "Filmmakers feel comfortable that projects put into development here can actually finish their life (here)."

Unlike most other studios, Paramount -- for the time being -- can boast a relatively stable top executive corps. And the year at the box office has been stable, too. Blockbuster "Mission: Impossible 2" ($215 million) ended up as the No. 2 movie of 2000, while "Shaft," "Rules of Engagement," "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie," "Snow Day" and "The Original Kings of Comedy" all toted up healthy numbers.

More disappointing, "Bless the Child" was a dud as was the John Travolta starrer "Lucky Numbers."

With the exception of the Curtis Hanson-helmed "Wonder Boys," which generated Oscar buzz in a late-year rerelease, there's not a lot of risk-taking at Paramount these days, with the studio's development machine working in overdrive until every story beat clicks: Next year's tentpole, the Angelina Jolie starrer "Tomb Raider," has been a marathon development project, but Par is sure that it will produce hefty returns in the summer.

The studio is also especially keen on "Vanilla Sky," which teams Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Cameron Crowe in a remake of the Spanish-language pic "Open Your Eyes."

Paramount Domestic box office
Film	Release date	2000 gross*
Runaway Bride	1999	0.2
Double Jeopardy	1999	2.7
Superstar	1999	0.5
Bringing Out the Dead	1999	0.3
Sleepy Hollow	1999	8.2
The Talented Mr. Ripley	1999	41.5
Angela's Ashes	1999	12.9
Snow Day	Feb. 11	60.0
Wonder Boys	Feb. 23	19.3
The Next Best Thing	March 3	15.0
Rules of Engagement	April 7	61.3
Mission: Impossible 2	May 24	215.4
Shaft	June 16	70.3
Bless the Child	Aug. 11	29.4
The Original Kings of Comedy	Aug. 18	38.2
The Ladies Man	Oct. 13	13.6
Lucky Numbers	Oct. 27	10.0
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie	Nov. 17	71.2
What Women Want	Dec. 15	115.8
Total		785.8
** reissue * - figures in millions

2001 slate
Film	Release date
Save the Last Dance	Jan. 12
Down to Earth	Feb. 16
Enemy at the Gates	Feb. 23
Along Came a Spider	spring
Pootie Tang	spring
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles	spring
Tomb Raider	June 15
Rat Race	summer
Hardball	summer
Domestic Disturbance	fall
Four Feathers	fall
Lucky Break	fall
Vanilla Sky	winter
Jimmy Neutron -- Boy Genius	winter