Spurned Spielberg Seeks Disney Deal

Hollywood's own financial crisis has left Steven Spielberg searching for a home for DreamWorks, the Wall Street Journal reports. Talks over a distribution deal with Universal collapsed yesterday after the studio balked at DreamWorks' request to double its financing commitment to $200 million. DreamWorks is now in talks with Disney, and a deal is expected soon.

DreamWorks signed a partnership deal with Bollywood giant Reliance ADA last year, but the credit crisis means the Spielberg venture has been unable to secure the loans necessary to provide its share of financing. DreamWorks needs the cash to meet its goal of making six movies a year, and while Disney may provide, Hollywood execs say the collapse of the Universal deal highlights the scaling back of studios' debt-fueled ambitions.
(More Steven Spielberg stories.)