Posted: Tue., Jul. 26, 2005, 3:24pm PT

Misher inks Par pact

Prod'n guru takes 3-year producing deal at studio

By Dave McNary

Misher

A correction/Corrections was/were made to this article/review on July 27, 2005.

Paramount Pictures has signed former Universal production chief Kevin Misher to a three-year, first-look producing deal.

Pact commences at the end of this year, after the expiration of Misher's exclusive U producing deal. Misher Films execs Patrick Baker and Andrew Berman will join Misher at Par.

Misher already has a pair of projects set up at Par -- an adaptation of Dan Zevin's memoir "The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-Up" and family comedy "Parents on Strike," produced with Gavin O'Connor's Solaris Entertainment.

Misher, who moved into producing four years ago, has producing credits on "The Interpreter," "The Rundown" and "The Scorpion King." He's also developing a trio of projects for Universal -- "The Sub-Mariner" in association with Marvel, written by David Self; crime drama "Public Enemies," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, with Michael Mann directing; and an adaptation of Jim DeFede's "The Day the World Came to Town," with Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini co-writing and co-directing.

Misher joined Universal in 1996 after six years at TriStar. He became U's production prexy three years later and oversaw "The Fast and the Furious," "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns," "Meet the Parents" and "Erin Brockovich."

Misher's deal is the sixth pact signed by Paramount since studio chief Brad Grey tapped Gail Berman president in an overall effort to improve performance by aiming at the youth audience. Other recent deals include Jason Blum, Tom Jacobson, Mark Waters-Jessica Tuchinsky's Watermark, the "Hustle & Flow" team of Stephanie Allaine and Craig Brewer and Brad Pitt's Plan B.

"I am tremendously excited about working with Paramount's dynamic new management team during this important evolution in the studio's history," Misher said.

He noted he'd worked at U for almost a decade and added, "I know that the longstanding friendships and working relationships that have developed there over the years will continue as we work together on our joint projects."