Hollywood players will be keeping a close eye on Paramount's Clive Cussler adaptation Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz when it opens in US cinemas this weekend.

The pricey adventure story, which goes against an Americanised remake of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch starring Drew Barrymore, is the studio's first heavyweight salvo of the year and follows a far-reaching executive shuffle at the underperforming major.

The studio's owners Viacom revealed earlier this year that longtime chairman Sherry Lansing was being replaced by talent manager Brad Grey, a producing partner at Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's company Plan B whose direct filmmaking experience is limited.

Grey's close relationships with some of Hollywood's biggest stars were seen as a key plank in the studio's comeback following several years in the doldrums, with recent flops like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and The Stepford Wives remake.

Last week Grey appointed television whizzkid and Fox Entertainment president Gail Berman as Paramount's production chief, an audacious move considering Berman's lack of experience in motion pictures.

The studio's biggest release of the year is scheduled to open this summer. War of the Worlds stars Tom Cruise and is directed by Steven Spielberg and is anticipated by many analysts to be the biggest picture of the year.