Skydance names its leadership as Paramount–Warner Bros. merger set to close; Casey Bloys gets HBO Max and Paramount+
David Ellison’s combined studio, Skydance Corp., is set to start trading Tuesday under “SKYD.” Paramount’s film chiefs will run the merged movie group, Warner Bros.’ film heads are out, and HBO’s Casey Bloys signed a new multiyear deal to oversee both streamers.
The lineup: On the eve of closing the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, David Ellison on Monday named the executives who will run the new Skydance Corp., Variety reported. Ellison is chairman and CEO; former Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz joins as co-CEO, and the company’s studios, TV networks and streaming services will report to both.
Movies: Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, previously co-chairs of Paramount Pictures, will co-chair the Skydance Motion Picture Group. Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group heads Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca are not joining the new company, Variety said. James Gunn and Peter Safran stay on as co-heads of DC Studios.
TV and streaming: Casey Bloys, who ran HBO and HBO Max, becomes co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance DTC, overseeing both HBO Max and Paramount+. Variety confirmed he signed a new multiyear extension; his earlier contract ran through most of 2027. George Cheeks leads Skydance TV content, and former WBD streaming chief JB Perrette is co-chair and chief business officer of both the TV and streaming units. More of the streaming structure is expected Tuesday.
News: Mark Thompson continues as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide, and Bari Weiss is listed as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
The deal behind it: Ellison’s Paramount agreed in February to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111 billion deal. It was cleared by regulators in 68 jurisdictions, including the Justice Department, and got its final green light last week when a judge approved Paramount’s settlement with 12 states over their antitrust suit, Variety reported. The new company carries an estimated $80 billion-plus in net debt.
What this means for viewers: One company now controls two major film studios, HBO, CNN, CBS and two big streaming services. Bloys’ role covers original programming plus strategy, operations and performance across the company’s streaming platforms, Variety reported.
Clarification (Oct. 7): An earlier version of this story said the deal was cleared by regulators in 68 countries. Variety's count is 68 jurisdictions, including the U.S. Justice Department.