LANSING QUITS PARAMOUNT CHAIRWOMAN TO LEAVE POST AT END OF NEXT YEAR.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

It was just seven months ago that longtime Paramount Motion Picture Group Chairwoman Sherry Lansing, flanked by Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey, Denzel Washington and a dazzling array of other A-list stars, presided over a lavish presentation of her studios' ambitious 2004 movie slate at the annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.

But in the end, films ranging from ``Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'' and ``Team America: World Police'' to ``The Stepford Wives'' and ``The Manchurian Candidate'' all failed to click at the box office and Lansing confirmed Tuesday that she will leave Viacom Inc.-owned Paramount when her contract expires at the end of next year.

Lansing, 60, said in an interview that she had informed Viacom Co-President and Co-COO Tom Freston that she would not seek to renew her contract when it expires in December 2005. She stressed that no one was pushing her out the door.

``This is something I've had planned for quite a while,'' an upbeat Lansing said. ``The truth is it has nothing to do with a movie or anything. At some point in your life, you have to wrap up and have that third chapter. Sixty is the new 50 now, and I'm really excited.''

Freston, who oversees operations of Paramount Motion Picture Group, said he plans to move aggressively to appoint a successor and that Lansing would be assisting in the process.

``She has led Paramount on a remarkable ride with an impressive string of successes,'' Freston said. ``She has been a trailblazer and a great leader and I understand and respect her decision.''

Lansing's announced departure comes just five months after the resignation of Jonathan Dolgen, who was Viacom's entertainment chief and Lansing's direct boss for most of her time at Paramount. While Lansing is widely respected within the industry, Paramount has been tightfisted with movie budgets in recent years and has lacked the blockbusters its rivals have enjoyed such as the ``Spider-Man,'' ``Harry Potter'' and ``Lord of the Rings'' franchises.

Instead, Paramount has released such flops as ``Timeline,'' ``The Four Feathers,'' ``Against the Ropes,'' and ``Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.''

Even Paramount's recent hits ``The Italian Job,'' ``School of Rock'' and ``Mean Girls'' have all peaked at $100 million or less domestically - small when compared with the $200 million-plus grossing hits other studios have enjoyed.

While Paramount has been mired in a box office slump for the past three years, Lansing has also presided over some of its biggest hits over the years, highlighted by ``Titanic,'' which is still the highest-grossing movie of all time. Other acclaimed Paramount hits during her tenure include ``Forrest Gump,'' ``Braveheart'' and ``Saving Private Ryan.''

Lansing points out that the studio has ``always been incredibly profitable,'' even during lean periods at the box office.

``We had a really nice, solid summer, we have great movies with 'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' and ('Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events') coming out, and our whole next year is terrific.''

Lansing is credited with paving the way for other current female studio chiefs, including Universal Pictures' Stacey Snider and Columbia Pictures' Amy Pascal.

``I'm very proud of the fact that I was there first and able to make this what I think is now a gender-blind business,'' Lansing said.

After spending three years as a math teacher in public schools in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, Lansing briefly tried an acting career, which was highlighted by a role in the John Wayne film ``Rio Lobo.'' She then moved to roles behind the camera working as a story editor, then a studio executive.

Lansing became the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio when she was named president of 20th Century Fox in 1980. Prior to that, her film industry resume included executive stints at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures.

Between studio jobs, Lansing spent nine years as a partner in Jaffe-Lansing Productions, which was behind such films as ``Fatal Attraction,'' ``The Accused'' and ``Indecent Proposal.''

``Sherry has been the heart and soul of Paramount Pictures for 12 years and a major contributor to the motion picture industry for more than three decades,'' said Sumner Redstone, Viacom's chairman and CEO. ``She leaves behind a legacy of great filmmaking, including three Oscar-winning films and some of the most popular and profitable movies in history.''

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

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