Business
Paramount takes over Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood merger
The merger of two of Hollywood's biggest movie studios comes after months of legal disputes and concern over competition.
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Paramount+
Business
Paramount's hard-fought takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery closed Tuesday. Here's how we got here
Paramount has faced competing bids and an antitrust hurdle since its earliest attempts to take over WBD. Here's a timeline of key events.
Entertainment
Skydance to Fully Reorganize International; Kevin MacLellan Will Not Lead Key Group
Reverberations from the historic combination of Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are now being felt overseas. Despite a Monday report claiming international executive Kevin MacLellan was close to clinching the top job outside North America, sources tell Variety he will not move forward in the role. While insiders praised him as a transformative leader, the […]
Entertainment
Casey Bloys Signs New Multiyear Deal to Continue Overseeing HBO Max and Paramount+ As He Assumes His New Role at Skydance
Having just been named to the hefty position of co-chair and chief content officer for Skydance DTC — overseeing both HBO Max and Paramount+, Casey Bloys is staying put. Variety has confirmed that Bloys — whose contract with HBO was set to expire next year — has signed on for a new multiyear extension. Insiders […]
Entertainment
Tony Gilroy Says Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Will ‘Destroy’ a ‘Healthy and Beautiful Business’ in ‘The Name of Venture Capital’: ‘It’s Tragic’
Tony Gilroy blasted the “tragic” nature of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger at the world premiere of his new film, “Behemoth!” Produced on a $36 million budget, “Behemoth!” is representative of the mid-budget, adult-oriented drama that once sustained Hollywood’s theatrical business — and allowed filmmakers like Gilroy to make a name for themselves in the industry. […]
Business
David Ellison says combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance
It's a full-circle moment for a company that has undergone two major acquisitions within the last 18 months.
Entertainment
‘Landman’ Season 3: Colm Feore, Mustafa Speaks, Bobbi Salvor Menuez, Francesca Xuereb Promoted to Series Regular Status
“Landman” Season 3 is officially in production, with the hit Paramount+ oil industry drama promoting four cast members to series regular status. Colm Feore (Nate), Mustafa Speaks (Boss), Bobbi Salvor Menuez (Paigyn), and Francesca Xuereb (Cheyenne) have all been promoted going into the new season, which is shooting in Fort Worth, TX. Billy Bob Thornton […]
Entertainment
Ynon Kreiz, as Co-CEO of Paramount, to Receive Pay Package Worth More Than $46.5 Million
Ynon Kreiz, as David Ellison’s right-hand man at the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery, is getting a big pay bump over his pay package as CEO of Mattel. Kreiz, 61, signed an initial five-year employment contract with Paramount. He starts Oct. 5, one day before Paramount is set to close its $111 billion merger with Warner […]
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Entertainment
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos on If He Sees Paramount-Warner Bros. As Competition, and If He Courted Casey Bloys: ‘We Had a Very Well-Publicized Lunch’
If Ted Sarandos is concerned about any competitive edge that a Paramount/Warner Bros. merger might pose, he’s not showing it. Speaking Wednesday at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, Sarandos was mostly dismissive of any rivalry: “It’s looked on paper so far it’s one and one,” he said, referring to the company’s two streaming services. “So I […]
Entertainment
Mark Ruffalo Says Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Will ‘Stifle Creativity’ and ‘Weaken Free Speech’: It ‘Should Never Have Been Approved’
Mark Ruffalo is speaking out against the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger once again, this time following the news on Wednesday that the deal has been approved and is tentatively set to close next week. “This merger will stifle creativity, weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs — it is a bad deal for this country […]
World
US judge approves settlement allowing Paramount to acquire Warner Bros
Mammoth deal has raised questions about corporate consolidation and editorial independence in media.
World
Paramount takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery clears legal hurdle
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a settlement clearing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery after 12 US states challenged the deal on antitrust grounds. The agreement includes safeguards for CNN’s editorial independence and requires the merged studio to release at least 30 films a year for its first two years.
Business
David Ellison names Ynon Kreiz co-CEO of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount CEO David Ellison announced outgoing Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz will serve as the co-CEO of the anticipated combination of Paramount and WBD.
Entertainment
Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Set to Close Next Week After Judge OKs Settlement With State AGs
Paramount chief David Ellison, after a fierce year-long battle, is finally about to get his hands on Warner Bros. Discovery — in the most expensive takeover in Hollywood history. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who is overseeing the antitrust case aimed at blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal approved Paramount’s settlement with the 12 […]
Entertainment
Paramount Deal and U.S. Film Incentive Reflect Hollywood’s Deepening Ties to Government
Last week, politicians decided they could not let Hollywood slip away. First, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for a resolution of the Paramount antitrust case out of fear that the studio would leave the state. And in Congress, Republicans and Democrats joined to introduce a U.S. film incentive, recognizing they are at risk of losing […]
Entertainment
Casey Bloys Poised to Run HBO and Paramount+ as Cindy Holland Confirms Her Exit From Studio on Eve of Merger Closing
HBO chief Casey Bloys is poised to take the reins of all of Paramount and Warner Bros. streaming operations once the two companies merge. On Tuesday, Cindy Holland announced she was stepping down from her role running Paramount+ and other direct to consumer streamers under the Paramount umbrella. The shuffle comes as Paramount Skydance is […]
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Entertainment
A24 British Shows ‘It Gets Worse,’ ‘Major Players’ and ‘The Ministry of Time’ to Stream on Paramount+ in U.S.
Paramount+ has snapped up U.S. streaming rights to three new original British series from A24. Comedy “It Gets Worse,” coming-of-age drama “Major Players” and the screen adaptation of “The Ministry of Time” are all headed to the streamer in the U.S. as well as select other regional territories. “It Gets Worse,” about a trio who […]
Entertainment
Paramount and States Defend Antitrust Settlement From Sen. Booker’s Criticisms
Paramount and a coalition of 12 state attorneys general defended their antitrust settlement on Monday from a series of criticisms raised last week by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. In separate filings, the two sides argued that the deal was vigorously negotiated, has “teeth,” and should not be subjected to an independent “public interest” review. […]
Entertainment
Jeff Probst Says ‘Survivor’ Needs Diversity Despite Paramount’s DEI Rollbacks: ‘All Those Differences Matter in the Story’
Fifty seasons later, one key factor of “Survivor” remains the same: the show’s approach to diversity. Longtime host Jeff Probst told The New York Times that “nothing has changed” in the reality competition series’ approach, despite Paramount’s rollback of DEI initiatives to align with Trump’s mandates in 2025. Diversity, he explained, is integral to the […]
Business
Here's exactly what Paramount promised Hollywood to land WBD — and why some are still skeptical
Paramount CEO David Ellison's antitrust settlement eased some theatrical concerns, but questions remain about what happens when the five-year agreement ends.