Andrew Rona's Silver Lining

By Steven Zeitchik

This is a juicy one. Andrew Rona, the current president of Rogue Pictures, one of the founders of Dimension Films and the studio overseer for some very big modern horror and comedy-horror franchises -- "Scream" and "Scary Movie," to name two --  is in talks to join Joel Silver's Silver Pictures.

Rona would replace Susan Downey as president of the company. (She's likely leaving in February, when her contract expires) He'd also assume the role of co-president of Dark Castle (the full scoop on THR).

So does this mean anything besides a round of musical chairs for film execs? In short, yes. Most obviously, it gives momentum to Silver Pictures at a time that it seems at risk of losing it -- not only because of the departure of Downey (off potentially to form a banner with husband Robert Jr.)  but because it's had several disappointments over the past few years with titles like "Speed Racer" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." And it needs that momentum as it gets some big movies ready, like the Sherlock Holmes update (currently in production) and genre/comic titles like "The Losers," based on a popular DC Comics property.

But the move has equally large implications for Rogue. A genre label that took a little while to find its footing at Universal, the brand now will move to Relativity (expect a deal to be formalized over the coming weeks) in what amounts to a fresh start for the company.

With Rona potentially leaving, Relativity now will get a shot at installing a new spate of execs right off the bat. That allows for a type of pure experiment for the producer-financier. Until now it's been financing movies for other studios and banners. Now it's a self-contained studio (with a distribution assist from Universal) and whether it flourishes or it sputters, all credit or blame will flow back to Kavanaugh and his team.

So in the end it all works out neatly. In Rona, Silver gets an exec with serious credentials dating back to his Dimenson days and a person who can allay concerns over who would slip into Downey's shoes (even if his focus has been somewhat different at Rogue than some of the movies Silver does). And Relativity has a library, a distribution pipeline and a chance to finally be what it's wanted to be -- a studio in everything but name.

Well, maybe not entirely neatly, since Relativity and Silver/Dark Castle may find themselves entwined in other ways.  Sylvain White, the up-and-coming director (he did "Stomp the Yard") is on board to direct the high-profile Rogue property "Castlevania" was just in the last few weeks brought on to Dark Castle's "The Losers." Don't ever expect you've made a clean break -- wasn't that one of Scream's first rules of horror movies?