EXCLUSIVE: As Paramount Pictures chairman/CEO Jim Gianopulos bolsters his film ranks, he has staked Graham King and his GK Films to a three year first look deal to make movies for the studio. King will move his company onto the Paramount lot right away. The studio confirmed the deal to Deadline. Even though they’ve yet to collaborate on a movie, King and Gianopulos have had a close relationship for years, going back to King’s origins in distribution.
Said King: “Jim is not only a dear friend, but also one of the best in the industry and I couldn’t be more excited to have him as a partner in the next chapter of GK Films. Having worked with Paramount on several projects, I’m beyond thrilled to now be able to call the studio home.”
Said Gianopulos: “Graham not only has keen artistic and commercial tastes, but he also is one of the most prolific producers in this industry. It’s my pleasure to welcome him to our Paramount family and we all look forward to many successful collaborations for years to come.”
King, a Best Picture Oscar winner for The Departed, has also been nominated for The Aviator and Hugo. He is in post-production on the Tomb Raider reboot that stars Alicia Vikander, with Warner Bros releasing the film March 16, 2018. King next starts production for Fox on Bohemian Rhapsody, the Bryan Singer-directed story of iconic Queen singer Freddie Mercury, with Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek playing Mercury. King produced the Robert Zemeckis-directed romantic thriller Allied for Paramount, which starred Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, and before that collaborated with the studio on World War Z, Hugo and Rango. Attorney Ken Ziffren made the deal for King, a prolific producer whose movie successes include The Town and Gangs of New York.
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