The epic envelope snafu that rocked the Oscars is still sending aftershocks through Hollywood.
Oscars producer Michael De Luca has been buzzed about as a replacement for Brad Grey as Paramount Pictures CEO — but now the move’s in doubt.
“De Luca produced the Oscars [with Jennifer Todd], and was about to get the job at Paramount,” said a source. “Now, because of the Oscar disaster, he is very likely not to get it.”
“Fifty Shades of Grey” producer De Luca has revealed of the envelope incident: “It was like the Hindenburg.”
PricewaterhouseCoopers accepted blame for the blunder, but it’s questionable whether Paramount would want the headlines that hiring De Luca would bring. Another source said of De Luca, “I don’t think he would be disqualified because of some idiot,” meaning PwC’s bonehead bean counters.
Others in the running for Grey’s post include former Warner Bros. movie boss Jeff Robinov, former Paramount COO Rob Friedman and “Ted” producer Scott Stuber.
“They are looking at Friedman and Stuber, though the gossip in Hollywood is that Scott is going to get a senior creative position at Netflix,” said a source, adding that Jim Gianopulos is in the picture and that Les Moonves passed on the gig. “Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be any women in the mix,” said the source, noting Sherry Lansing was Paramount CEO for more than 12 years, like Grey.
The source added, “Hollywood is going through a transition . . . The studios either want big franchise movies or indie hits like ‘Moonlight.’ But they are looking at the wrong people,” and mentioned “Moonlight” producer Dede Gardner and Jason Blum — who brought “Paranormal Activity” to Paramount — as smart picks. But we hear Blum’s focused on his Blumhouse Productions, which just made the M. Night Shyamalan hit “Split” for Universal.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s parent Viacom wants more synergy between the studio and struggling cable networks like MTV and Nickelodeon, which some candidates for Grey’s job would find “less appealing.”
A rep for Viacom had no comment, and De Luca did not return our call.
Meantime, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs on Thursday put a positive spin on the awards in an email to voters that praised De Luca and Todd and criticized the accountants who made the mistake.
“It’s now been a few days since what was one of the best — and certainly most dramatic and talked about — Oscar ceremonies of all time,” Isaacs wrote in an emailed Academy Bulletin. “I am so proud of the work and effort from each and every one of you this past year leading up to our show last Sunday, and the tremendous (and often thankless) job achieved by Jennifer Todd, Michael De Luca and their entire team in producing a show that was entertaining, enlightening, and emotional, and that reminded people around the world why we love the movies.”
She said that, “PwC has accepted full responsibility for the error. Rest assured changes will be implemented to ensure this never happens again.”