At the moment, the largest questions surrounding a studio specialty division hover over fledgling Warner Independent Pictures, which has not had an easy first year. WIP president Mark Gill, who came into the job after a decade's experience at Miramax, has weathered constant rumors about his imminent departure.

Warner Bros. Pictures was the last of the majors to launch a specialty division. Company president Alan Horn placed WIP under the supervision of production chief Jeff Robinov, who told The Hollywood Reporter at the time of its creation that WIP "will be a filmmaker-driven division. ... We want Warners to be a place for filmmakers to make their big movies and their lower-budgeted features." In order to make any big-money decision, Gill was required to get a go-ahead from either Horn or Robinov.

As a rookie division head at a huge multinational corporation, Gill has had to navigate a tricky course. He acquired several smart art house movies but has yet to push a breakout hit. He inherited films from big Warners, including "Before Sunset," which did well and earned an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay. But he chose to push the high-end French Warners production "A Very Long Engagement" for major Oscar consideration this year even though it hadn't opened in France in time to be eligible for the best foreign-language Oscar.

Although "Engagement" garnered two technical nods, WIP spent heavily for little return at the boxoffice during a year in which Warners had its own Oscar contenders, including "Million Dollar Baby," to nurture. In retrospect, it might have been wiser to postpone "Engagement" until next year, when it might have earned a foreign-film nom.

Gill also has had to contend with studio powerhouse Section Eight, led by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney, who were disappointed with WIP's release of their film "Criminal." Talk about needing political savvy.

Neither Gill nor Robinov was available for comment. But many industry insiders hope that Warners gives Gill time to reach his stride. "It's internal issues," one observer says. "It's not economics, it's ego. I don't know if they've given him the time or the resources to make a go of it." Although schooled in the rock 'n' roll Miramax environment, Gill might need to get more corporate. "You can't shoot from the hip the way Harvey did," one distribution executive says. "Maybe he'll go back and run Miramax."

But, if WIP is to succeed, Warners also must decide what exactly it wants from the division. "They have to create a path for that division to succeed," an executive says.

Because if there is a lesson to be gleaned from the studio-speciality division combinations, it's that harmony breeds success.

Gastu?

Do MGM and Paramount have specialty divisions like the article proclaims? I can't think of any...

Gastu?

At least mary backs up her what went wrong with an article.

When I wrote the reply I didn't see what she put.