• The New York Times, Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:09 AM

CBS Films is sticking with an old formula intact: four to six films a year, anchored by stars and costing up to $50 million apiece. "There's an area in the middle where I want to live," said Amy Baer, president of CBS Films. Among the movies it has coming up are "The Back-Up Plan," a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, which arrives on April 16; work has started on "Faster," a co-production with Sony, starring Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton. Other projects include a feature adaptation of the classic TV western "Gunsmoke."

The philosophy -- grown-up dramas -- has any veterans of the film business wondering about CBS' strategy. It might make sense on paper - diversifying CBS' mix of businesses and lessening its reliance on television and radio advertising while creating an in-house pipeline for Showtime - but this middle swath of the industry can be a tough slog. One example of a successful effort: "The Blind Side," the sports drama starring Sandra Bullock cost less than $35 million to produce and has sold $227 million in tickets worldwide.

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