David Ellison unveiled Skydance Corp.’s senior leadership team ahead of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger’s official closing. Ellison will serve as chairman and CEO alongside incoming co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, with Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein leading film, George Cheeks overseeing television content, and Casey Bloys heading direct-to-consumer content.
John Oliver did not address the approved Warner Bros. Discovery takeover or planned Skydance Corp. rebranding during Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight,” despite questions about the HBO show’s future under David Ellison’s company. Instead, the episode focused on the Secret Service and ended with a spoof recruitment ad starring Adam DeVine and Anders Holm.
Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning delivers a broader indictment of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s leadership than its provocative marketing campaign suggests. Set for release Oct. 9, the Sony Pictures film centers on Frances Haugen and The Facebook Files, while its ads needle Zuckerberg and Meta over political advertising and fact-checking.
Channing Dungey is poised to oversee Paramount’s cable networks, including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET, while continuing to lead Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks operation. The expanded role is part of the planned television and streaming structure for the combined company, recently named Skydance.
“Coyote vs. Acme” has crossed $100 million at the global box office after Warner Bros. shelved the completed Looney Tunes comedy for a tax write-down. Its success through Ketchup Entertainment has renewed questions about the decision made under Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav, though the financial comparison remains complicated.
James Gunn is already writing his next movie while awaiting an assembly of Man of Tomorrow, the upcoming sequel to 2025’s Superman. The DC Studios co-CEO has not revealed details about the follow-up project.
Pedro Pascal delivers a restrained leading performance as former child cello prodigy Alex Serian in Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!,” a role that could put him in the best actor conversation ahead of the 99th Academy Awards. The music-driven family drama premiered as the New York Film Festival’s centerpiece selection.
Paul Rudd says he no longer brings his smartphone onto film sets because he considers the devices addictive and destructive. Tom McCarthy’s “A Statement” reinforced that choice with a strict no-phones policy that helped the ensemble talk, connect and make the production feel more like a play.
Paul Reubens voiced Bat-Mite, a fifth-dimensional imp who tried to get “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” canceled in its self-aware series finale. The Pee-wee Herman performer also played the Penguin’s father in “Batman Returns” and a three-episode “Gotham” arc.
Tony Gilroy warned at the world premiere of “Behemoth!” that the planned Paramount-Warner Bros. merger could destroy the filmmaking system in the name of venture capital. He argued that further consolidation threatens mid-budget, adult-oriented dramas like the $36 million film.
Australian actor Joseph Zada plays Caleb Trask in Netflix’s Florence Pugh-led adaptation of “East of Eden.” Viewers may recognize him as Johnny Sinclair Dennis in “We Were Liars” or from trailers for “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” in which he stars as a younger Haymitch Abernathy.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Digger” is rescued from its overplayed opening satire by the reveal that Tom Cruise’s oil tycoon, Digger Rockwell, is part of a technical rehearsal for the play “Fossil Fools.” The twist opens a more intriguing discussion of performance, money, environmental destruction and the limits of satire.
New Line Cinema president and chief creative officer Richard Brener is expected to join the merged Paramount-Warner Bros studio under the Skydance name while continuing to lead New Line.
Paramount’s branding for its planned combination with Warner Bros. Discovery signals that HBO Max and Paramount+ could remain separate streaming brands under the Skydance name. A bundle is emerging as a possible model, though Paramount has not confirmed how the services will be combined operationally.
George Cheeks is expected to oversee Warner Bros. Television, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios under the proposed executive structure for the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery combination. Channing Dungey and Matt Thunell would remain in their roles and report to Cheeks.
European entertainment leaders are greeting Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery with cautious optimism as the merger approaches its Oct. 6 closing. Despite the combined company’s expected $79 billion debt, Mediawan chairman Pierre-Antoine Capton expressed confidence in Paramount chief David Ellison’s commitment to cinema, theatrical releases and creative investment.
Paramount and Warner Bros. are expected to combine Tuesday into a mega-studio called Skydance, dramatically expanding the company’s scale. Since 2006, Skydance Media has built an action-heavy catalog featuring recurring collaborators such as Tom Cruise and Mark Wahlberg, generating more than $8.7 billion at the worldwide box office.
The first teaser for Lionel Messi’s animated Disney sports-fantasy series Messi and the Giants debuted at San Diego Comic-Con Málaga, featuring Luck Ra’s theme song “Vamos, Vamos, Vamos.” Executive produced by Messi, the series follows 12-year-old Leo through soccer-like competitions in an alternate reality ruled by giants.
Tom Cruise’s Digger earned $1.2 million from domestic Thursday previews ahead of its opening in more than 3,300 North American locations. Warner Bros. projects a $12 million to $15 million debut for the Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed satire amid a leadership transition at the studio.
James Gunn and Peter Safran will remain at the helm of DC Studios following the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, continuing to oversee the label’s film, television and comic book projects under a new corporate reporting structure.
Luca Guadagnino says he is “not afraid” of potential backlash over “Artificial,” his film about Sam Altman’s 2023 ouster and return to OpenAI. Starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, the movie premieres Monday at the New York Film Festival and reflects Guadagnino’s view that powerful people must be responsible to the community.