NEW YORK (Dow Jones) - After 15 years of churning out some of Paramount Pictures' biggest hits, producer Scott Rudin is shifting his movie company to rival Walt Disney Co. (DIS), where he is expected to help reinvent the company's specialty unit, Miramax Film Corp., the Los Angeles Times reported in its Tuesday editions.

Rudin confirmed Monday that he planned to sign a five-year production deal that would give Disney first crack at all of his projects spread across the studio's three film labels: Touchstone Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and Miramax, the report said.

His deal comes at a crucial time for Disney, which last month finalized a corporate divorce with Miramax co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein after years of tension, the report said.

Rudin, 46, has produced for Viacom Inc.'s (VIA) Paramount and other studios such mainstream hits as "School of Rock," "Clueless," "The Addams Family" and " Sister Act." At the same time, he has gambled on riskier fare, including the critically acclaimed films "The Hours," "The Truman Show" and "Wonder Boys." Dow Jones Newswires 04-19-05 0450ET Copyright (C) 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.