Richard Brener, New Line Cinema’s president and chief creative officer, is expected to join the combined Paramount-Warner Bros operation that will carry the Skydance name.
Brener is also expected to remain in charge of New Line, preserving continuity at the genre label where he is the longest-serving employee. His anticipated move comes as the merger is expected to close early next week and the new studio’s leadership structure begins to take shape.
Paramount production co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will oversee the Warner Bros film labels, with those operations reporting to the pair. Brener would therefore bring New Line and its developing slate into a larger organization under their leadership.
The expected transition follows confirmation that DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are also making the move to the new company. Warner Bros Motion Picture chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, meanwhile, are departing. No other executive changes are currently anticipated across the remaining Warner Bros labels.
A three-decade rise at New Line
Brener’s history with New Line stretches back to 1995, when he was hired by then-production boss De Luca. He began as a temporary employee before advancing through the company, becoming a story editor and later a senior vice president. During the mid-2000s, he also held the position of senior vice president and chief operating officer.
Over the course of that climb, Brener became known for handling relationships with filmmakers and talent. His tenure has covered several shifts in theatrical tastes, from hit comedies to the horror franchises that have become central to New Line’s output.
When comedy was a major force at the box office, Brener helped shepherd titles including The Wedding Singer and Wedding Crashers, along with the Sex and the City movies and the Austin Powers franchise.
His more recent record includes involvement with some of New Line’s largest horror properties. Those include The Conjuring series, the feature adaptations of Stephen King’s It, the Final Destination franchise and its revival, and Zach Cregger’s blockbuster Weapons.
Last year, The Conjuring: Last Rites became the highest-grossing installment in its series, earning close to half a billion dollars worldwide. Final Destination Bloodlines, directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, delivered a franchise-best $317.8 million at the box office.
New Line’s future slate heads to Skydance
Brener’s expected arrival also brings a lineup of dated New Line projects into the incoming studio operation. The slate includes another collaboration with Cregger, the original science-fiction film The Flood, scheduled for release on August 11, 2028.
Cregger’s Weapons universe is also set to continue with the prequel Gladys, dated September 8, 2028. Other genre releases include Final Destination 7 on May 12, 2028, and Evil Dead Wrath on August 7, 2028.
Before those titles arrive, New Line has Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum scheduled for December 17, 2027. The film is the next entry in the Lord of the Rings franchise.
What Happens Next?
Brener’s move remains expected rather than formally confirmed. The immediate milestone is the planned closing of the Paramount-Warner Bros merger early next week, after which the reporting lines under Goldberg and Greenstein are set to take effect.
If the transition proceeds as expected, Brener will continue steering New Line while carrying its established franchises and upcoming releases into Skydance. Paramount did not respond to requests for comment.