Tom Cruise: Golden Globes for Life

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

By Roger Friedman

Tom Cruise: Golden Globes for Life

Tom Cruise may have reached control freak nirvana this week. He's also set for Golden Globe nominations for whatever he does in the future.

The reason? Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, has bought Dick Clark Productions for $175 million. The company produces the Golden Globes NBC telecast with the controversial and mysterious Hollywood Foreign Press Association every year. Its contract with the HFPA runs through 2011. The company and the HFPA split an annual fee from NBC of between $5 and $8 million.

The HFPA, registered as a charitable foundation, then gives about $1 million to various charities and lavishes the rest of the tax-free money on itself for travel, salaries and "research."

Last year, Snyder entered into a deal with Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner to fund their movie production company after Cruise/Wagner lost its deal with Paramount Pictures.

You may recall Cruise and wife, Katie Holmes, making publicity appearances at a Redskins game and at Six Flags Great Adventure - which Snyder also owns - with the timed dexterity of a political candidate.Since the 80-member HFPA has a proven track record of being influenced in its voting every year, the fix is in, as they say, for Cruise's Golden Globe nomination this December for his role in Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs." The movie is produced by Cruise/Wagner for United Artists.

Cruise also could get an American Music Award special honor, since Dick Clark Productions owns that show as well. But we won't have to fear his hosting "New Year's Rockin' Eve." That show was held back by Clark when he sold the company several years ago.