CHAMPAGNE glasses clinked all over Hollywood Monday night when it was announced that former Paramount president Gail Berman and former ABC entertainment chief Lloyd Braun - two of the best-liked executives in L.A. - were joining forces to create their own production company, BermanBraun. The partners have no projects on their slate yet but are being wooed by every company except for ABC, whose chief, Bob Iger, fired Braun two years ago, despite the success of "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." The most likely home for the two is Fox, but NBC's Jeff Zucker is working hard to outbid Fox head Peter Chernin.

We can only assume that somewhere within the Page Six offices is a ten-foot-tall basket brimming with delicious baked goods and top-shelf alcohol, to which a handwritten note from a newly retained publicist is affixed, reading, "Hey guys! Per our conversation, here are those yummy muffins and some beverages to help you wash them down. While Gail and Lloyd would totally love it if you'd mention the celebratory champagne glass-clinking bit and the bidding war about to break out, they'd be happy if you just get in the part about everyone loving them. Everyone does! Can't wait to see the paper tomorrow!"

• TV TAG-TEAM [Page Six]
• Previously: Gail Berman And Lloyd Braun Join Recently Ankled Forces For New Venture [Defamer]

The pair is looking for a studio home for the company and is in discussions with Fox, Warner Bros., CBS and NBC Universal, where the two executives over the years have enjoyed strong relationships. But not surprising, ABC is not on the list of contenders as a result of a very public falling out between Braun and Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger.

Nor is Berman in conversations about any deal with her former boss, Paramount Chairman Brad Grey, despite Braun's close ties with the movie boss. Shortly after Grey took over Paramount in March 2005, Braun suggested that Grey hire Berman because of her creative chops despite her lack of movie experience.

Wherever the new endeavor sets up shop, we imagine that they'll quickly put these grudges behind them and get to the work at hand, perhaps by christening their office space with a one-time burning of effigies of their former ABC and Paramount tormentors (a weekly "Fuck Bob and Brad Friday" would probably be seen as petty), making a clean, yet fiery, break with their pasts.

• Former Paramount chief to form new entertainment company [LAT]

To quickly review the grand mal seizures that rocked Paramount's executive ranks yesterday: Not only is Paramount Pictures president Gail Berman out (as is co-president of production Alli Shearmur), but after failing to reach terms with the guy from the Water Tower Cafe on a deal to replace Berman, studio emperor Brad Grey has decided to eliminate her position entirely, preferring a "label strategy" of organization, in which every Paramount employee will provide Grey with an in-person, ten-second update on his day's work at the close of business each evening. With all the upheaval in his moviemaking fiefdom yesterday, wizened Viacom corporate overlord Sumner Redstone took a moment to give Grey, whose job security has often been questioned during his tenure atop the 'Mount, an unequivocal vote of confidence following his personnel moves:

"If Brad decided [Berman] was not for Paramount, then Brad was right," he said in an interview. "Brad's the boss, and I have total confidence in his decisions."

Redstone declined to comment when asked what Berman's exit settlement would cost Viacom.

"I have no idea what arrangements will be made between Gail, Brad and Paramount," he said.

Redstone added that he was feeling "very, very bullish" on Paramount these days: "Paramount is on a real roll. I believe in the first six months of this year, we'll go from the bottom to No. 1." [...]

As for nagging speculation that Snider could one day replace Grey, Redstone, 83, said, "I have no reason to believe that Brad will ever be gone as long as I'm alive — and I expect to be here for 50 more years."

This expression of support is even more impressive than it initially sounds; Redstone's pledge to keep Grey on for the duration of his stay on the Earthly plane (he cites the 50 years figure so as not to alarm the public with the fact that he will never actually die) is nothing short of a an invitation to drink of the immortality-granting chalice he stole "from some hippie a long, long time ago" and help Redstone rule his multimedia kingdom for Eternity.

• Paramount says it will not replace Berman [LAT]

While we're still awaiting an official press release announcing president Gail Berman's departure from Paramount, Var has pulled the trigger on an ankling-invoking headline, citing "several studio insiders" who claim that Berman submitted her resignation around noon. An operative within Brad Grey's fortified Melrose lot walls tells us that chatterers think co-president of production Brad Weston will replace her, but we wouldn't be that surprised to discover that Grey, overwhelmed by the pressure of choosing a successor, wandered into the lot's Water Tower Cafe and offered the position to the guy making his banana-and-strawberry Smoothie.

UPDATE: The LA Weekly's Nikki Finke says that the job's not being filled and that Berman isn't getting a "sorry it didn't work out" production deal.

[Photo: Berman and Paramount Vantage's John Lesher in huggier times, via Getty Images]

• Berman leaves Paramount [Variety]

Today's LAT reports that Paramount Emperor Brad Grey and embattled lieutenant Gail Berman are expected to finally part ways this week, ending a partnership so doomed that early drafts of Grey's press release announcing the TV veteran's puzzling ascendency to his studio's presidency ended with the phrase, "I couldn't be more excited to welcome Gail into the Paramount family, and to eventually fire her long after it becomes apparent that this relationship just isn't working out, after an acceptable interval for saving face." The Times takes a look back at Berman's rocky tenure at the 'Mount, during which her "exclusionary, aloof and non-confrontational" boss made the classically passive-aggressive move of buying an entire movie studio rather than prod her about the slow progress of her development slate:

Shortly after joining Paramount, Berman was confronted with published rumors that her job was in jeopardy. Agents and executives complained that Berman was often too tough and impolitic in her dealings with those accustomed to being coddled.

When confronted with such complaints, Berman made amends with various top agents. She took home piles of scripts to read each night. But Berman never clicked with some of her colleagues.

Her supporters said Berman bristled under Grey's management style, which at times can be exclusionary, aloof and non-confrontational.

Several people who do business with Paramount fault top management for its lack of teamwork and rampant backbiting.

The Times notes that it's unclear who might step in for Berman (though underlings Brad Weston and Rob Moore are mentioned) after Grey ceremonially processes her off the Melrose lot behind a symbolic, twenty-foot-tall cardboard box full of her belongings, but we imagine that the Paramount chief will quickly fill her spot, as he suddenly finds himself with a surfeit of free time now that he's been relieved of his responsibility to constantly release statements reinforcing her job security.

[Photos: Getty Images]

• Berman appears to be on way out [LAT]

[Photo: Getty Images]

From: xxx 02/27/2006 09:36 AM To: Paramount_MotionPicture_All Subject: A MESSAGE FROM BRAD GREY

Good Morning!

In case you missed the coverage this morning, I wanted to make sure you saw the attached release announcing that Stacey Snider has joined our DreamWorks label as Co-Chairman and CEO. She will be working with Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and our entire DreamWorks team to create 4-6 movies a year for the Paramount slate. She is an incredibly talented executive and will be a fantastic addition to our family.

I hope you'll join me, Gail, Rob and the entire senior team in giving Stacey a warm welcome.

The release is below for you to read....

Brad

We'll spare you the press release, but Paramount employees must be pretty excited to finally receive a message from their fearless leader that doesn't make ominous mention of the "challenges" who will be looking for new work that seems to accompany every exuberant announcement about changes at the studio. And if it seems like he's forgotten to make his obligatory Berman defense, that's just because he's going to personally call everyone on the Melrose lot and politely ask that they stop gossiping about the status of her job or risk the immediate removal of their department's Sparkletts cooler.

• Previously: Sniderwatch Ends As Stacey Chooses Steven and Brad Over Ron [Defamer]

"I had at times in my career hoped one day I could work with Steven," said Snider.

Now, she will sit alongside him at his production headquarters, ironically still based on the Universal back lot. Snider will run the day-to-day operations with Spielberg and DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen, with whom she shares the co-chair title. Snider's start date is unclear, since Universal has not formally released her yet from her current contract, which expires in December.

In a statement to The Times, Spielberg said: "Stacey has a unique combination in a film executive in that she recognizes a need to make commercial movies, but also aspires to make art. She recognized that balance is good."

We're still awaiting our copy of Brad Grey's interoffice monkeygram announcing the coup to his employees, but perhaps he was a little preoccupied crafting yet another statement defending embattled Paramount lieutenant Gail Berman's job security in the wake of this seemingly threatening hire:

"Gail, as I've said very recently, has all my confidence. She's the president of Paramount Pictures. She has a very big job in putting together the slate of Paramount Pictures."

Steven got his gal, Brad's keeping his, and, best of all, there seems to be no reason to lay anyone off. Everybody's happy at the New New Paramount!

• Spielberg's Siren Call Lures Snider to DreamWorks [LAT]
• Snider hits the switch [Variety]

Paramount chief Brad Grey, to whom Snider would report, also declined to discuss the possibility of hiring Snider. However, he was eager to deny rumors that Snider would be hired to replace Paramount President Gail Berman, a veteran television executive who has had a rocky transition to her new movie job.

"Gail has been a winner her entire career," Grey said. "She has my full support and confidence."

"However," continued Grey with unexpected candor after fastidiously adjusting a pen on his desk so that it was perfectly parallel with the edge of his desk blotter, "My tenure at Paramount has been a total fucking disaster, so I'm seriously considering giving Stacey my job and letting her sort out this mess. Who needs the hassle? I've always wanted to retire young to Wyoming, you know, buy a big old spread, mismanage a few hundred head of cattle, lay off some ranch hands...and I'm extremely confident I'd look pretty damn good in a cowboy hat. I've always thought that."

• Snider Eyes Studio Switch [LAT]
• Previously: Inside The Budgets: Brokeback Vs. Kong [Defamer]

Mr. Grey said Ms. Berman had his support so far. "She's working hard and it's early," he said. In fact, he says he finds the Hollywood speculation about Paramount's future somewhat amusing.

When told about the most recent rumor about him taking a corporate job at Viacom, Paramount's parent, he laughed. "What does that mean?" he said. "Am I being named emperor?"

Grey paused, then rolled the words around in his mouth. "Emperor...Kind of hits all the right spots, does it not? Emperrrorrrrr Grrreyyy..." After a brief intercom communique to his assistant to change all his business cards, personal stationery and parking lot assignment signage to "Brad Grey: Emperor, Paramount Pictures," the studio chief returned to the task at hand: reviewing a Berman-authored memo entitled "How My Production Slate Consisting of Oliver Stone's 9-11 Movie and the Sequel to Jackass Are Going To Turn This Ship Around, Boss!"

• Making Moves at Paramount [NY Times]
• Previously: Black Wednesday: Brad Grey Addresses Whoever s Still Left At Paramount [Defamer]