Paula Wagner - FishbowlLA

Scientology Watcher Wonders: What’s Up in Commerce?

Richard Horgan — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:17 +0000

The Morton Report contributor Skip Press has another intriguing entry today about the Church of Scientology. Although he does not (by his own admission) have the resources to connect all the dots, he gets the ball rolling by raising the possibility that a massive printing facility recently outfitted by the Church of Scientology in Commerce may be about more than just publishing the organization’s own materials.

Press, who once worked for the Church’s “Author Services” division, starts at a book option (Internet Dates from Hell) by Tom Cruise‘s former agent and production partner Paula Wagner, and ends some 1,200 words later with the idea that the output capabilities of the 185,000 square foot operation on Badini Blvd. greatly exceed the Church’s internal needs. Especially, he argues, since they already have another similar facility on Olympic Blvd. in east LA:

I did a bit more investigation and found out there are special padded floors inside [the Commerce facility], so workers can stay on their feet all day long without getting so exhausted… What in the world could they be doing to keep those presses going?…

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Harry Sloan Going to His Cruise Missile Defense

Dan Cox — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:39:09 +0000

Earlier today, MGM chief executive Harry E. Sloan came sprinting to the defense of golden boy Tom Cruise, to massage the media interpretation of the meltdown of United Artists under Cruise and partner Paula Wagner:

STATEMENT FROM HARRY E. SLOAN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

LOS ANGELES, CA August 14, 2008 — After reading erroneous reports about Tom Cruise and United Artists, I would like to clarify that
we are honored that he will continue as our full partner in control of UA. He is in the middle of one of the greatest careers our
industry has ever seen and one that will continue at the top of
United Artists Entertainment.

Not sure this will help, but it’s nice to see the family that plays together, well, stays together? Hmmm.

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Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ Turns Into An Xmas Pic — Break Out The Mistletoe!

Dan Cox — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:39:39 +0000

Tom Cruise‘s embattled film “Valkyrie” was just shifted by MGM to a Dec. 26 release date, moved up from the Feb. 13, 2009 that was originally planned.
The film has had nothing but controversy, but MGM and parent Sony are probably hoping first, to have the film considered for Oscar potential for Cruise and director Bryan Singer and second, to take advantage for the good cheer that good Nazi killing films always stimulate.
This is the second United Artists-driven story today. Earlier, partner Paula Wagner said she’s leaving.
FBLA tends to doubt if Wagner’s move was reflective of the fear surrounding “Valkyrie.”

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Paula Wagner Says Bye Bye to UA

Dan Cox — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:01:30 +0000

Paula Wagner, the once Tom Cruise agent who turned into the Cruise production partner at United Artists, is leaving the mini-studio to start up her own indie production shingle.
Variety reported as much in a small write-up of the news.
The move was unexpected and probably didn’t have anything to do with her husband Rick Nicita‘s departure from CAA two weeks ago to run Morgan Creek Pictures.
But maybe it did.

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Nicita Out At CAA for Morgan Creek…Go figure!

Dan Cox — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:09:25 +0000

Creative Artists Agency top-rung earner Rick Nicita seems to be waving bye-bye to the agency to take a job as Chairman and Chief Operating Officer for Morgan Creek Pictures, according to a company release.

While that may well be possible, it’s an awkward fit at best. Nicita has been a top agent at CAA for years with clients like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. He’s also married to Cruise’s partner at United Artists, Paula Wagner.

While the Morgan Creek position is in fact a job, it seems a bit unlikely because Morgan Creek is by no means a major production entity and Nicita is very much a top agent. The company has had a deal with Universal since 2004, but the best money-makers of their movies were with Warner Bros., with “Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves,” “Major League” and “Major League 2.”

As well, the company has long been run by Jim Robinson, who doesn’t play well with others. When former Hollywood Reporter Editor Alex Ben Block left the Reporter to become head of marketing for Morgan Creek and Robinson, it ended quickly because Robinson demanded that Block be in by 9 a.m.

Who knows whether Nicita’s schedule will be all that amenable to Robiinson and Morgan Creek. For L.A. Times story read on…

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Weinstein To Sign WGA Deal

Kate — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:08:53 +0000

The WGA is making side deals left and right. Biggie Harvey Weinstein says he’s getting a contract similiar to the one Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner wrangled for UA. And not a moment too soon:

One project that will immediately benefit from the independent deal is “Nine,” a planned film from Rob Marshall, who directed “Chicago.” Anthony Minghella, who has worked with Mr. Weinstein on films like “The English Patient” and “Cold Mountain,” is expected to begin working on revisions of a script that was written by Michael Tolkin, Mr. Weinstein said.

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LAT In 90 Seconds

Greg — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:43:41 +0000

Elizabeth Snead’s Big Weekend: The Dish Rag makes us feel dirty… and, worse, somehow culpable in the destruction of Britney Spears.

Steven Seagal Buries The Hatchet: A six-year battle between Steven Seagal and former business partner Julius R. Nasso ends with an out-of-court settlement, in which Seagal agrees to pay Nasso $500,000. With that headache out of the way, Seagal can now get back to the business of being completely irrelevant.

Yesterday’s News: Yes, this is a day-old, but we were too hung-over yesterday to report: “United Artists, the independent production unit of MGM controlled by actor Tom Cruise and his producer partner, Paula Wagner, is expected to become the first movie company to reach an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America, enabling the recent start-up to hire union writers despite the continuing strike.”

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Trade Round-Up: August 28

Guest Blogger — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:51:31 +0000

In the wake of Owen Wilson‘s hospitalization and recovery, Variety does its best to diagnose his slate of upcoming films. New Variety staffer Tatiana Siegel writes that first up, the actor was due to begin shooting a role in “Tropic Thunder” opposite Ben Stiller followed by the January start of “Marley & Me” opposite Jennifer Aniston. He’s also scheduled for promotional activities to support Wes Anderson‘s “The Dareeling Limited,” set for release Sept. 28 from Fox Searchlight.

Variety‘s Michael Fleming writes that Oliver Stone has set his sights on yet another Vietnam project by closing a deal with United Artists to finance “Pinkville.” Pic is a drama about the investigation of the 1968 My Lai massacre. He’ll direct and Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum will star. Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July” star Tom Cruise now runs UA with partner Paula Wagner.

Jennifer Lopez is also hustling with a new project for the small-screen, teaming up with Jane Startz Prods. to develop “The Amigas Sweet 15 Club,” a half-hour comedy about five Miami teens who run their own Quinceanera party-planning biz.

Innovative Artists has been ripe with a lot of work-related gossip this year from assistant drama to a brand new lawsuit. THR reports that Innovative agents Michael McConnell and Ben Press filed suit Monday in LA demanding that they be allowed to leave the tenpercentery along with their clients due to unfair one-sided employment contracts.

Scott Baio‘s reality run on VH1 with his self-titled TV show has been extended but the new season won’t just find him “45â€¦and Single” but instead a year older and expecting his first child. THR says the new plotline will focus on impending fatherhood following a season finale engagement with girlfriend Renee.

– CHRIS GARDNER

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Trade Round-Up: August 17, 2007

Guest Blogger — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:04:59 +0000

“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” jumps into the serious news fray a bit with a report next week from Iraq-based correspondent Rob Riggle, reports THR. Though Riggle and crew had contact with a USO-Multi National Corps comedy sketch tour, the story says the team was primarily with troops under “military protection.”

Variety‘s Michael Fleming writes about the end of agency-gate 2007 with veteran ICM agent Ed Limato taking his act – and his A-list Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson, Richard Gere and Steve Martin – along with him to rival agency WMA.

It was a topsy turvy day for MGM/UA with the studio losing financing deal with Goldman Sachs for MGM while gaining a $500 million fund with Merrill Lynch for specialty label UA. Obviously the Variety story was good news for Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner who co-own the UA label following a bitter split with Paramount Pictures last year.

Scarlett Johansson proves in THR that she’s the workhorse of the starlet set, signing on to star in three new movies including the big-screen version of the “Sex and the City” cultural phenom, “He’s Just Not Into You.”

REVIEWS: THR takes on “High School Musical 2″ (calling it a soon-to-be smash) while Variety says “Superbad” is actually verygood, dubbing it another “ultra-raunchy and commercial sex comedy” from Judd Apatow.

– CHRIS GARDNER

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LAT in 90 Seconds

Greg — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:00:45 +0000

Cube=Square: We knew hip-hop was dead when we saw Karl Rove rap. But for those of you who held out hope, we offer you this.

Fun For The Kids And Mom And (Snort) Dad, Too! Disney is apparently not as amused as the rest of us by Keith Richards’ little gag-inducing gag.

Thetan-less Place On Earth: Dennis Rice is leaving Walt Disney Co. to join Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner at UA, saying the duo’s vision “is nothing less than pioneering a new approach to moviemaking.” We wanted to hear him say more, but Cruise whisked Rice away, locked him up in his compound and hooked him up to an ultrasound machine.

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