It's official: once the $110 billion Paramount-WBD merger closes, the combined company will be called Skydance. Ellison announced it Friday morning via post on X. He describes it as an upgrade rather than a rebrand: "we aren't rewriting history — we're equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine."
His reasoning is that both Paramount and Warner Bros. have century-long legacies and distinct identities, and he didn't want a new corporate name to "diminish, alter or overshadow either one."
Ignore the doom and gloom reactions that will come with this announcement. Ellison’s decision makes perfect sense. He gets the marquee, but Paramount and Warner Bros keep their identities. Good first move.
Now, the real question: can managing two separate studios turn into a successful endeavor for Ellison? That’s what matters most.
Ellison promised "passion, imagination and a willingness to take smart risks," while vowing to honor what makes each studio special. That's the usual merger-speak, and how much creative independence these studios actually keep remains to be seen. Naming the whole operation after your own production company is also a statement in itself.
The deal is expected to close next week. HBO's Casey Bloys will now run both Paramount+ and HBO Max, and Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz is coming aboard as co-CEO. The most telling news for film people is that WB film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, the duo behind Warner's recent run of ambitious, filmmaker-driven releases, are expected to leave.
Ellison describes it as an upgrade rather than a rebrand: "we aren't rewriting history — we're equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine."