Barring any last-minute complications, Hollywood talent manager Brad Grey is expected to be named head of Paramount Pictures.

Several news organizations report that Grey, head of Hollywood talent and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, was in advanced negotiations to replace Sherry Lansing, who had announced plans last fall to leave the venerable movie studio.

If an agreement is reached, a formal announcement is expected within the next several days.

Grey has very limited experience in movie production but he does have close ties to Hollywood talent, including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. In recent years, Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc., has struggled in luring top stars for its movies, and Grey’s contacts are seen as key in his new role.

Talk of Grey’s probable selection is focusing on his status as an outsider to both Paramount and major movie production. This is a deliberate move, several news stories suggest, as a way of moving Paramount away from the kind of risk-averse movie-making that has shown just marginal results at the box office. The new approach could involve more expensive movies with the potential to become blockbusters.