Viacom Names Jim Gianopulos Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures

Viacom Inc. has announced the appointment of Jim Gianopulos as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures, effective April 3, 2017. Gianopulos will report directly to Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom.
   
In his role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount, Gianopulos will oversee the studio’s film and television operations worldwide, including production, marketing, distribution and all other facets. He also will be charged with setting a new strategy for Paramount, including developing new content, strengthening Paramount’s slate with co-branded releases from Viacom flagship brands, and expanding the studio’s global footprint.

Bob Bakish, said, “Jim is a remarkably talented executive with all the tools – strategic vision, strong business expertise, deep industry and creative relationships – to bring films to life that resonate throughout culture and deliver commercial results. I’m thrilled we will have the benefit of his experience, savvy and global expertise as we lay out a clear path forward and begin the next chapter in Paramount’s storied history.”

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back on Blu-ray & DVD

"Tom Cruise is better than ever” (Pete Hammond, Deadline) in the "breathlessly exhilarating”(Simon

Thompson, Forbes) action-thriller JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK, which hits the road on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on January 31, 2017 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Hailed as “a fun action-packed ride” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) returns to enforce his bold brand of justice in the actionpacked sequel based on author Lee Child’s best-selling series. When Army Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is framed for treason, Reacher discovers she’s the target of a massive government conspiracy. With help from Turner and a mysterious new ally, Reacher risks everything to take down a powerful organization that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets

Rating -

PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some bloody images, language and thematic

Ben Hur (2016) Motion Picture Score Out Now!

Sony Classical proudly announces the release of Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score), featuring the original score written by Academy Award® nominee Marco Beltrami. The soundtrack was made available on CD on August 12. The epic action adventure Ben-Hur, from Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, arrived in theatres nationwide on Friday, August 19.
Marco Beltrami is best known for finding a unique approach to scoring in each of his films. For the film Scream, he threw away conventional horror music clichés and instead called upon his concert music roots to explore a new sonic landscape. For The Homesman Beltrami constructed his own instruments that would meld the archaic and new. The creations were as tiny as a refitted lap steel guitar to giant, cross-ranch cables that could pick up wind and translate it into a haunting glow. Subsequently, his resume has expanded to include films ranging from epic drama to dark comedy. Beltrami has been nominated twice for Academy Awards® for Best Score (3:10 to Yuma (2007) and The Hurt Locker (2008)).
About his work on Ben-Hur, Beltrami says: “One of the fun things about working on Ben Hur was that I took ancient Greek and Roman instruments such as lyres, aulos, citira, tartold, and salpinx and processed them electronically to give the score a modern feel. We also had a traditional orchestra to give the score some scope, so overall it provides a unique emotional undercurrent to the story!"

10 Cloverfield Lane Set for June 15 DVD/BD Release

Acclaimed producer J.J. Abrams and up-and-coming director Dan Trachtenberg deliver a new masterpiece that critics are calling "riveting, gripping and loaded with tension" (Scott Mantz, "Access Hollywood") when10 CLOVERFIELD LANE debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on June 14, 2016 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.

Certified Fresh by critics with a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE delivers "heart-pounding fun" (Patrick Stinson, "Made in Hollywood") that will "shock you senseless" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). After a catastrophic car crash, a young woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) wakes up in a survivalist's (John Goodman, Argo) underground bunker. He claims to have saved her from an apocalyptic attack that has left the outside world uninhabitable. His theories are supported by a mysterious stranger who is in the bunker with them (John Gallagher, Jr., "The Newsroom"), but as his increasingly suspicious actions lead her to question his motives, she'll have to escape in order to discover the truth.

With a shocking finale that "will completely blow you away" (Eric Eisenberg, Cinemablend), 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE looks phenomenal on Blu-ray. The Combo Pack includes Digital HD, commentary with director Dan Trachtenberg and producer J.J. Abrams, and over 30 minutes of special features. Take an extensive look behind-the-scenes with Abrams and the cast as they revisit the legacy of 2008's CLOVERFIELD, and discuss how 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE went from script to production. Continue with a tour of the ominous bunker, see how the costume designer was challenged to create a homemade Hazmat suit, follow the production team and sound designers as they work on the movie's epic finale, and hear the unique scores composed for each character. Plus, for a limited time only, get a bonus Digital HD copy of the original CLOVERFIELD with the Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Paramount and Walt Disney Studios Join EMA / Entertainment Merchants Association

EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association)  announced today that they're pleased to welcome Paramount and Walt Disney Studios to membership in the Association. "EMA's membership now includes all the major motion picture studios, and we look forward to working with them, along with all of our other members, to foster the health and vitality of the home entertainment industry," said EMA President & CEO Mark Fisher.

EMA member Baker & Taylor also welcomes these two key video suppliers to the association and looks forward to their participation.

Boyhood Arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray on January 6, 2015

Hailed as “a moving 12-year epic that isn’t quite like anything else in the history of cinema” (Andrew O’Hehir, Salon), “a breathtaking achievement” (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post) and “a profound viewing experience” (Manohla Dargis, The New York Times), riter/director Richard Linklater’s extraordinary film BOYHOOD debuts on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD January 6, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  

A must have release for all libraries, BOYHOOD was filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast, BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason. A box office hit from IFC Films that has garnered universal critical acclaim, BOYHOOD achieved a rare 99% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earned an unprecedented score of 100 on Metacritic and is the first film to receive an A+ score from Entertainment Weekly’s Critical Mass. 

The film stars Academy Award nominee* Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater and Ellar Coltrane as Mason.              
The BOYHOOD Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a look at the extraordinary work that went into making the film, as well as an in-depth Q&A with Richard Linklater and the cast. 

BOYHOOD Blu-ray The BOYHOOD Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:         

Blu-ray
     ·      Feature film in high definition
     ·      The 12 Year Project
     ·      Q&A with Richard Linklater and the Cast         
DVD
     ·      Feature film in standard definition

BOYHOOD DVD The BOYHOOD DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English and Spanish subtitles. The DVD includes the feature film in standard definition.