EXCLUSIVE: Paramount‘s motion picture divisions, including production, literary, marketing and music, were impacted today with many Melrose Ave lot vets exiting. The new David Ellison run conglom is handing out approximately 1,000 pink-slips as it looks to achieve $2 billion in overall savings. We understand that some of those savings aren’t in job cuts alone.
Among those departing, we hear, are President of Worldwide Music, Randy Spendlove who has been at the studio since 2006. Spendlove arrived to Paramount as a Grammy Winner for Best Soundtrack Album for the Miramax Best Picture Oscar winner, Chicago. He started at A&M Records as VP of Promotions where he worked with Janet Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Soundgarden and Bryan Adams. In 1998, he became President of Motion Picture Music at Miramax Films where he worked on Chicago, Shakespeare in Love, Cold Mountain and Finding Neverland. While at Paramount, he co-supervised the music and co-produced the soundtrack album for Dreamgirls, which was nominated for three Best Song Oscars.
Other executive departures include Bryan Oh, SVP of Production, who most recently was shepherding a K-pop music drama starring Ji-young Yoo and singer-songwriter Eric Nam; Geoff Stier, EVP of Production who was formerly with Showtime Original Programming and a previous Paramount vet overseeing such titles as World War Z and True Grit before coming back in July 2024; Andres Alvarez, EVP of Home Entertainment; Rachel Cadden, EVP of International Theatrical Marketing; Christine Benitez, SVP Multicultural Marketing; and Phil Cohen, SVP of Literary Affairs who arrived to the studio in 2022.
In a note to staff today, Paramount Co-Chairs Dana Golberg and Josh Greenstein took a knee, expressing how “difficult” today is and how “we want to take a moment to acknowledge the departure of valued colleagues and express our deep gratitude for their contributions, dedication, and the impact they’ve made on our studio.” The duo also emphasized the new Skydance-owned Paramount’s plan of “right-sizing our organization” which aims to “refocus our energy, and align our efforts with the endless opportunities ahead.”
There are 1,000 more expected to be cut from the roughly 20,000-employee count of the combined Paramount and Skydance. The next wave is hitting offshore offices. As Deadline previously reported, Paramount television and marketing/distribution were effected today.
Below is the internal email from Paramount Co-Chairs Dana Golberg and Josh Greenstein.
Team,
We recognize that today has been a difficult one as our workforce changes take effect. We want to take a moment to acknowledge the departure of valued colleagues and express our deep gratitude for their contributions, dedication, and the impact they’ve made on our studio.
This restructuring marks a pivotal step in shaping the path forward. We’re right-sizing our organization to ensure Paramount Pictures remains not only the iconic studio built on more than a century of storytelling, but also the leading destination for creators and innovators who will define the future of entertainment. Please know that we’re making these changes as comprehensively as possible to ensure we can move forward decisively, refocus our energy, and align our efforts with the endless opportunities ahead.
As we set our sights on the future, our goal is to create clarity and momentum as we begin this next chapter. Your managers and HR business partners are here to support you—please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. What makes this place exceptional is the spirit of collaboration and kindness you show one another every day. We know that same generosity will carry us through this transition.
We will be sharing more around our strategy and structure in the coming weeks and appreciate your continued commitment and focus.
Thank you for everything you bring to this team. We’re confident that, together, we’ll build an even stronger future.
Dana and Josh
The post Paramount Layoffs Hit Motion Picture Execs In Production, Marketing, Music & More; Studio Co-Chairs Say, “Today Has Been A Difficult One” appeared first on Deadline.
