<\/p>\n
In a memo to staff yesterday, n\u00fc Parmount\u2019s TV Media chair wrote that the company was actively working to \u201c<\/span>reinvent<\/span><\/a>\u201d its brands while in reality, its strategy seems to be doubling down on what already works. The same appears to be true of the studio division. In a wide-ranging new look at <\/span>divisive<\/span><\/a> CEO David Ellison\u2019s first 100 days behind the wheel, <\/span>Variety<\/span><\/i> reports<\/span><\/a> that the company hopes to conjure a new <\/span>Star Trek <\/span><\/i>movie, though it\u2019s \u201cmoved on\u201d from the idea of bringing back Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and the rest of the cast of J.J. Abrams\u2019 <\/span>2009 reboot<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The concept of rebooting <\/span>Star Trek <\/span><\/i>(again) makes sense. All three films in the recent trilogy (which also includes 2013\u2019s <\/span>Star Trek Into Darkness<\/span><\/i><\/a> and 2016\u2019s <\/span>Star Trek Beyond<\/span><\/i><\/a>) made over $300 million at the worldwide box office (<\/span>via <\/span>Box Office Mojo<\/span><\/i><\/a>), and received generally positive reviews from critics. What\u2019s less clear, at least as of this writing, is why the studio would want to start over fresh. Multiple cast members including Quinto and Simon Pegg have spoken enthusiastically about the idea of returning to the Enterprise (<\/span>per <\/span>IGN<\/span><\/i><\/a>), with Pegg specifically noting that \u201cDavid Ellison is a big Star Trek fan\u2026 So I would love it. I would be delighted if we could make another film.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While it seems like Pegg may not get his wish, a different actor has<\/span> been eyeing a return to the Paramount lot. <\/span>Variety <\/span><\/i>reports that Tom Cruise stopped by the studio to \u201ccongratulate\u201d the Skydance team on its takeover and discuss a return to <\/span>Top Gun <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Days Of Thunder<\/span><\/i>, both of which currently have sequels in the works. Other gestating films include James Mangold\u2019s <\/span>High Side<\/span><\/i><\/a>, which has been described as a \u201cmotocross\u00a0 thriller\u201d starring Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, and a movie about a cowboy and his dog searching for his missing daughter that sources have likened to \u201ca Western version of <\/span>Taken<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The cowboy movie is one of several recently greenlit films that insiders have described as \u201cAmerica-centric\u201d and aimed at appealing to the middle of the country. Another recent acquisition in this category is Professional Bull Riders (PBR)\u2019s Unleash the Beast tour, which will live at Paramount for the next five years under a newly inked deal, <\/span>per the trade<\/span><\/a>. Paramount and PBR have not disclosed financial details, but the price tag on the agreement was likely pretty high. PBR is owned by TKO Group, which also represents UFC\u2014the organization Ellison forked $7.7 billion to for a seven-year deal <\/span>earlier this summer<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the Wild West, and these are the new cowboys,\u201d former Sony Pictures chief Jon Peters said of the Ellison regime in <\/span>Variety<\/span><\/i>\u2018s report. \u201cThings have changed.\u201d We\u2019ll see if the company can actually boldly go where no one has gone before or if the ship crashes and burns as the CEO continues to enact his vision. <\/span><\/p>\n