Paramount Pictures has laid off of 31 production staffers, including some division heads. Among the execs leaving the Melrose lot are Georgia Kacandes, head of physical production and Guy Stodel, head of the Paramount Vantage unit. Ben Cosgrove, Senior V.P. of production and Dan Levine, Exec V.P. of production, were also let go, along with casting chief Gail Levin and Aimee Shieh, head of Paramount’s New York literary office.
The focus on cost-cutting within Paramount was noticeable in the staff cuts as well in Tuesday’s report by the Financial Times that Paramount has approached Sony and Fox about a potential partnership with either studio that would unite the production and distribution functions of their home video operations however, the studios would maintain separate sales and marketing teams.
