Nickelodeon to supervise Viacom theme parks

According to this article I found at the Internet Movie Database, Viacom has assigned Nickelodeon to supervise the theme park division because they want Paramount Pictures to focus on moviemaking. Does anyone think this will change the way the parks are run or what attractions are built? Has this really already started and been happening the past few years and we're seeing the results of it with the family focus? Whatever the theme parks are doing now, that's what I'd like to see them continue doing. It seems to be paying off with the huge increase in attendance the parks have seen.

It's also a great idea to have Paramount Pictures concentrating on movies, because they have had some pretty bad films and horrible box office take for some bigger budget ones lately such as The Core, Timeline, and Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. They should stick to less expensive comedies that make huge bucks such as Mean Girls, School of Rock, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Italian Job is the exception and they need those to fuel new thrill ride themes. ;)

http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/#tv2

This seems to be the Press Release IMDb got the news from, but I haven't had the chance to go through all of it yet.

http://www.viacom.com/press.tin?ixPressRelease=80404169

+Danny

It dosen't seem anything will change at the parks, simply some restructuring of management.

That makes sense. It's just like Paramount Pictures managed and used the Nick themes and Nick will manage and use Paramount themes.

+Danny

..and we thought that Nick had taken over the parks before...

I guess we should expecty more family attractions like recently. Or a Sponge Bob themed inverted..whoop di do! *** Edited 7/31/2004 3:41:27 AM UTC by Matthew***

How did anyone arrive at "Nickelodeon will run the parks and the studio will concentrate on making movies?" The only thing different is who the Paramount Parks boss will report to. Just because one guy might have been overseeing the parks and movies doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the films.

I'm actually happy with this. Whatever it is Paramount is doing with their parks, they need to keep on doing it. I also thing it needs to spread a little to PGA (apparently), as it seems it took over PCar's spot of forgotten stepchild park. PKI, PKD, PCar, and even PC have gotten good stuff lately(okay, maybe PC didn't get a great flyer, but its a new coaster), while PGA got 2 coasters taken away. I'm hoping that PGA's new water park is a turn around for it.

Clint-an out of the closet Paramount Parks Fanboy. PKI in 4 days!

"We want to get the focus of the Paramount Motion Picture Group onto the central task of moviemaking," Freston told today's (Friday) Hollywood Reporter.

That's where I got the latter of the quoted part in your first section Jeff. The other part was just what I was assuming from the article. I'm not sure how everything works. ;)

+Danny

Still, that amounts to one guy that was overseeing the division. It's very much a "who cares?" kind of thing written for analysts to get them to talk about the company. At that level, I doubt very much he was hands-on much of anything other than to say, "You are/are not reaching your revenue targets."

This will have no effect whatsoever on the parks. You have to consider who is really running the parks. Do you realize that at Paramount's Kings Island...or if not at Kings Island, then at Paramount Parks at the very least...there are (or at least were recently; retirements may factor into this) still people working there who started at Coney Island, possibly BEFORE it was bought by Taft Broadcasting?

That's ...ummm... at least four changes in actual park ownership and the personnel remain the same. That's the way the business works when the product is good. The name changes, the boss changes, but the institution goes on forever...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jeez, Dave, Shut up bout PKI! Its making me way too excited, and I still have a few days of work before I go!

;)