Over 30 Movies, a $40 Billion Content Spend and So Much Debt: What We Learned From Skydance’s Kickoff Event
Co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz share their plans for the new company housing Paramount and Warner Bros.' numerous businesses The post Over 30 Movies, a $40 Billion Content Spend and So Much Debt: What We Learned From Skydance’s Kickoff Event appeared first on TheWrap .
Skydance, the new Hollywood giant, was founded by co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz. During their media event, they emphasized the company's aggressive plan to invest in movies and shows, with a focus on original content.
Ellison highlighted the importance of original storytelling, stating that Warner Bros.' "Sinners" was his favorite movie of 2025. He also revealed that he had been advocating for the federal film tax credit during the merger process.
The merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, now under Skydance, has a debt burden of nearly $80 billion, which raises concerns about the company's ability to operate amid rising interest rates.
The company aims to keep the two studios, Paramount and Warner Bros., independent creatively. This approach will allow each studio to maintain its own slate, relationships, and opportunities, while also optimizing the release schedule by genre and audience demographic.
The merger's finalization comes after a year-long journey filled with intense competition, a bidding war with Netflix, and resistance from the creative community and lawmakers. Despite these challenges, Ellison and Kreiz are confident in their ability to disrupt the industry and bring fresh content to Hollywood.
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