Viacom Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said Monday that he hoped to have an agreement to sell a minority stake in Paramount Pictures by the end of the next financial quarter.

With the “Star Trek” and “Transformers” franchises in its portfolio, Dauman described the studio as Viacom’s “crown jewel,” which he said should entice high-profile investors.

According to Variety, industry analysts speculate that deep-pocketed Chinese investors such as Alibaba may be interested in buying a position in the studio, though Dauman did not disclose the names of potentially interested parties.

“I feel very good about the kind of players that we’re talking to,” said Dauman Monday at the Deutsche Bank media, Internet and telecom conference. “It will help drive Viacom forward as well as bring out some of the value that’s not being recognized.”