Paramount was the leader in global theatrical market share a decade ago, thanks to huge movies from DreamWorks Animation ( Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss N Boots), Marvel ( Thor, Captain America), and Hasbro ( Transformers: Dark of the Moon). Paramount has been struggling in the dark for the last six years. If that is true, it’s been a longtime coming, and not just because of Covid or the streaming wars. Moreover, The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit stated that, so says “insiders,” the move signals that (partially because Robbins has no working relationships with the likes of Tom Cruise or John Krasinski) Paramount will scale back its theatrical output, focusing on fewer tentpoles and more streaming-friendly IP. Robbins has been running Nickelodeon since 2018 and is seen as more friendly to ViacomCBS owner Shari Redstone’s alleged desire to emphasize Paramount+ as the center of the Viacom universe. Is this the end of Paramount as a major distributor of theatrical motion pictures? That was the question upon news that Jim Gianopulous was stepping down from running the studio (a role he took over from Brad Grey in 2017) in favor of Brian Robbins.