(The Hollywood Reporter) — Rob Moore, who has been overseeing day-to-day operations at Revolution Studios, has been named president of worldwide marketing, distribution and operations at Paramount Pictures by Paramount chairman/CEO Brad Grey.
Moore will take over many of the responsibilities of Rob Friedman, who resigned July 12 as COO/vice chairman of Paramount’s Motion Picture Group. Grey said he does not plan to appoint a new COO.
In the new position, Moore will report directly to Grey and be responsible for domestic and international marketing and distribution, administration, legal and business affairs, and backlot operations. Unlike Friedman, he will not oversee the studio’s home video operation or its specialty films unit, Paramount Classics. “The specialty division will report directly to me as we build and grow,” Grey said.
One of the founding partners of Joe Roth’s Sony-based Revolution, Moore helped to design the company’s innovative business plan and, for the past five years, served as Roth’s partner overseeing the company. Moore ran business affairs and physical production, and oversaw Revolution’s international and home video releases.
At Paramount, Moore said he expects to function more as a worldwide business affairs and operations strategist — much like former Viacom Entertainment Group chairman Jonathan Dolgen — than just a marketing or distribution executive. He isn’t looking to make major changes in those departments, he said. “There’s no question that the day-to-day domestic distribution and marketing movie operation is working well” under distribution president Wayne Lewellen and marketing president Gerry Rich, he said. “My role is more about strategy and leadership than getting in the editing room and cutting a trailer.”
The most radical change Moore plans to implement is to become a buyer, rather than a seller, of international rights. “Paramount is looking to improve the neglected international arena,” he said. Moore said he would like to enhance the way Paramount operates with United Pictures International, the global distribution company shared by Paramount and Universal Studios.
Moore added that he expects to work closely with studio president Gail Berman, who was appointed in March, as part of Grey’s revamped senior executive team. His appointment brings a streamlined hierarchy to the studio with Berman, Moore, CFO Mark Badagliacca, Paramount Home Entertainment president Tom Lesinski and Paramount Classics co-presidents Ruth Vitale and David Dinerstein all now reporting directly to Grey.
Before joining Revolution, Moore spent 13 years at the Walt Disney Co., most recently as executive VP operations and finance. At Disney, he was responsible for the business and daily operating activities of the studio, including live-action and animated feature films, TV animation, television production, theatrical and video marketing, distribution, music operations and Disney’s stage play business. He was instrumental in putting together numerous strategic relationships for the studio, including Disney’s partnership with Pixar Animation Studios and the acquisition of Miramax Films.
