Since a typical feature film is a $20 million roll of the dice, Hollywood always wants to improve its odds. That's why studios are so willing to pay breathtaking sums to surefire stars. Now Hollywood's obsession with the talented few is fueling a billion-dollar personnel tug-of-war that pits Warner Bros. against Sony for the services of the two hottest movie producers to come along since Samuel Goldwyn met Louis B. Mayer.
The oddsbusters are Peter Guber and Jon Peters, whose penchant for producing such hits as The Color Purple and Batman has brought Warner hundreds of ( millions of dollars. When...