Paramount CEO David Ellison is finally speaking, reaffirming his promise to release 30 films theatrically once Paramount merges with Warner Bros. Discovery
As we have said consistently, we are committed to delivering a broad pipeline of high quality storytelling, including 15 theatrical films per year per studio, for a total of at least 30 films annually.
Ellison said these comments to analysts during a conference call on Monday, adding, “We really believe that movies should be seen in theaters.”
Ellison highlighted that the company has “already shown we can boost production,” pointing out that Paramount plans to release a minimum of 15 movies in 2026, compared with eight in 2025. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. did not meet the benchmark Ellison had established, putting out 11 films last year.
“We said from Day 1 when we acquired Paramount that we weren’t going to be in the business of making movies directly for streaming,” Ellison said.
Ellison’s group hasn’t consistently prioritized the traditional cinema model. Jeff Shell, Paramount’s president, advocated for shortening the theatrical window—the period a movie runs exclusively in theaters—from several months to just 17 days while leading NBCUniversal amid the pandemic. Still, Ellison confirmed that the merged Paramount and Warner Bros. operation will maintain a 45-day theatrical window before releasing films on home entertainment platforms.
That said, fifteen theatrical films a year, for each studio, is a bold promise — over one film per month, and something that hasn’t really been achieved by a major studio in the modern era of filmmaking.
Can a studio realistically manage around 15 major, globally appealing films in a year, handling everything from development to distribution? Expecting 30 wide releases in the same timeframe is highly improbable—a fool’s errand—but I do applaud Ellison for at least attempting it. We’ll see how it goes.