The noise of political and creative stress be damned — David Ellison simply needs to go to the flicks.
The Skydance mogul made a shock look at CinemaCon on Thursday, immediately addressing international movie show homeowners and making some huge guarantees for his imaginative and prescient a few mixed Paramount-Warner Bros. Ellison and his crew are at present awaiting regulatory approval to accumulate Warner Bros. Discovery, lower than a yr after sealing the deal for Paramount Global.
Ellison mic-dropped at the Las Vegas occasion by asserting that as of right this moment, Paramount Pictures will supply a 45-day unique window for his or her films to play in theaters. Other studios have been pledging to present exhibitors extra time to pack audiences into their theaters earlier than shifting to paid and free streaming choices. Universal Pictures will hit 45 days beginning in 2027.
Furthermore, Ellison stated Paramount will decide to a 3-month interval for his or her films to reside on streaming video-on-demand platforms, a paid digital launch equal to a rental or residence leisure buy, earlier than titles head to Paramount+.
When the transaction is accomplished, Ellison pledged that Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. would make a “minimum” of 30 movies for theaters throughout each studios.
“At Paramount, we’ve already demonstrated – since launching the new company just eight months ago – our ability to increase output with 15 films currently dated for 2026, up from eight in 2025,” stated Ellison. “We want to tell even more great stories on the big screen – stories that make people think, laugh, dream, wonder and feel – and we want to share them with as broad an audience as possible.”
A shocking quick movie celebrating Paramount Pictures’ previous, current and future — directed by new Paramount expertise Jon M. Chu — preceded Ellison’s remarks. The quick was narrated by Tom Cruise, and featured a dizzying array of stars and filmmakers, together with Timothée Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Mark Wahlberg, Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner, Will Smith, Molly Ringwald, Travis Scott, John Krasinski, Issa Rae and the Duffer Brothers.
Ellison even labored in some self-deprecation, referencing his 2006 huge display screen appearing debut (and shouting out our publication).
“We’ve been through a lot together over the past twenty years. At the beginning of my career, we partnered together on ‘Flyboys’ and I delivered to you what Variety called one of the biggest bombs of 2006,” Ellison concluded. “Sorry about that.”
