Sources: Paramount’s Marc Evans Out as Motion Picture Group President

The longtime studio exec has overseen the motion-picture division since 2015.

Sources close to the situation say Marc Evans is stepping down at Paramount Pictures, where he’s served as president of the Motion Picture Group since 2015, when he succeeded Adam Goodman in that post. In addition to overseeing motion-picture development and production, he has also been in charge of animation, casting, business affairs and physical production. He is expected to leave by year's end, possibly for a producing deal.

Evans, a longtime Paramount executive, joined the studio in 2003 as vp production, was promoted to senior vp in 2006 and executive vp in 2008 before then being named president of production in 2010. During his tenure, he’s been involved in such studio franchises as Transformers, Star Trek and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The past year has been a difficult one for Paramount, which is now going through an executive makeover, with former Fox head Jim Gianopulos joining the studio as chairman and CEO this past spring.

At the box office, the studio has lagged far behind its rivals, claiming just 5.2 percent domestic market share for the year-to-date, as movies like Transformers: The Last Knight (with $604 million in worldwide grosses) and Baywatch ($177.7 million) turning in disappointing performances. Its upcoming release schedule includes a number of auteur-driven entries like Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!, George Clooney’s Suburbicon and Alexander Payne’s Downsizing, as well as sequels Daddy’s Home 2 and a new Cloverfield movie in February.

Its next Mission: Impossible, number six in that series, is scheduled for July 27, 2018, although it recently ran into production delays when Tom Cruise injured himself while performing a stunt during filming.

A spokesman for Paramount did not respond immediately to a request for comment.