Paramount
Pictures said Sunday it had agreed to buy independent film
studio DreamWorks SKG Inc.in a deal worth US＄1.6 billion in cash and debt. The deal strengthens Paramount's live action film business and gives the
unit of Viacom Inc.access to DreamWorks' library of 59
films,
including Oscar-winners "American Beauty" and "Gladiator." It also marks the end of an 11-
year dream for Hollywood moguls Steven Spielberg,Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, who had ambitious goals for DreamWorks that included television,music,films and the Internet. Brad Grey,Paramount's chairman and CEO,said in a statement that enhancing Paramount's pipeline of pictures is a "key strategic objective in restoring Paramount's stature as a leader in filmed entertainment." The agreement does not include DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.,the most profitable part of the company.The
animated unit went public last year.But Paramount does gain the right to distribute the studio's lucrative animated films,including the "Shrek" franchise.