Par showing Lorenzo love

Studio reups Di Bonaventura

By DAVE MCNARY

A correction was made to this article on Aug. 16, 2003

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura has reupped for another three-year, first-look deal at Paramount as his "Four Brothers" pic won the weekend box office title for the studio.

Producer's new deal commences Jan. 1, following expiration of his current three-year pact.

"Lorenzo is an intuitive, daring and passionate producer, and we are very excited that he is staying with us here at Paramount," said prexy Gail Berman. "We are so proud of 'Four Brothers' and look forward to the many other fantastic projects we are developing together."

Projects Di Bonaventura is developing Par include an imminent pair of actioners -- "By Any Means Necessary" and a remake of "Convoy."

Other Paramount projects he's producing are "The Forger," based on Richard D'Ovidio's crime story script; "G.I. Joe," based on the Hasbro toy; and the untitled Transformers project, a live-action version of the TV series to be directed by Michael Bay and co-financed by DreamWorks.

Di Bonaventura gave credit to studio chief Brad Grey and the executive team.

"One of the primary reasons I'm staying at Paramount is because it is such a creatively invigorating environment," he said. Di Bonaventura signed a deal at Paramount after ankling Warner Bros. in fall 2002. Some of the key hits during his seven-year tenure as Warner production prexy were "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "The Matrix," "Training Day," "Three Kings" and "The Perfect Storm."

Di Bonaventura's also been active in producing features outside Par. He was a producer on Warner's "Constantine," along with two features due out later this year: "Derailed," starring Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen, will be released by the Weinstein Co.; vidgame adaptation "Doom," starring Karl Urban and the Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, will be released by Universal.