COMPANY TOWN

Studios: Fox Inc. has bid about $60 million for most of the assets of struggling Carolco Pictures, with possible new bids still to come from MCA Inc. and European entertainment conglomerate PolyGram, sources said Monday. But sources close to Fox disputed the amount, saying it’s closer to $50 million. At PolyGram, sources said the company has made a limited bid for Carolco’s foreign library and will not get involved in an auction. Fox’s bid valued Carolco overall at about $75 million, sources said, but it does not include some assets, such as Carolco receivables and Carolco’s estimated $5 million in cash. They added that Carolco founder and producer Mario Kassar is not part of the Fox deal. Carolco’s main assets include rights to such projects as the potential sequels to “Basic Instinct’ and “Total Recall.” Carolco produced some of the biggest international box office hits ever, including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and the “Rambo” films, but it stumbled financially because of high overhead costs and other factors. Its next film, “Cutthroat Island,” is due out in December.