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Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison announced on X that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery company will be called Skydance, ahead of the acquisition's completion on October 6. Ellison had previously said Paramount+ and HBO Max would be merged into a single streaming service with roughly 200 million subscribers if regulators approved the deal.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery's pending merger will result in a new parent company named Skydance, according to a statement from Skydance leadership. The company says Paramount and Warner Bros. brand identities will remain intact and continue operating under their own names, with Skydance serving as the corporate umbrella.
Mattel Inc. is bringing in a new chief executive, while Condé Nast and the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros. are also undergoing leadership changes this week. Each company's incoming leadership is reportedly tied to experience in streaming media.
A federal judge approved Paramount's consent decree settling an antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 states over its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, removing the last major legal obstacle to the $81 billion deal. The merger is expected to close on October 6, and Paramount announced Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz will join as co-CEO alongside David Ellison once the deal completes.
Paramount has appointed former Mattel chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO, working alongside chairman and CEO David Ellison, ahead of the close of its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison will oversee long-term strategy, creative direction and partnerships, while Kreiz handles day-to-day management and integration of the combined companies; Kreiz starts October 5th. Separately, a judge approved Paramount's settlement with states that had been blocking the merger, and streaming chief Cindy Holland announced her departure.
A coalition including Free Press, the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee for the First Amendment filed a court brief arguing that California's settlement with Paramount Skydance over its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery offers the public 'virtually nothing.' The filing asks Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who had earlier found the deal likely to substantially reduce competition, to reject the settlement that California Attorney General Rob Bonta and eleven other states agreed to this week. The League of United Latin American Citizens raised similar objections in a separate filing.
A Sunday edition of the Animation Obsessive newsletter examines how designer Maurice Noble shaped the look of Chuck Jones' 1957 Bugs Bunny short 'What's Opera, Doc?'. The piece notes the film cost $35,510, took seven weeks instead of the usual five, used a pre-recorded score and ballet-inspired movement, and required Jones to draw nearly 500 pose sketches, far more than typical productions.
Paramount Skydance is preparing to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, placing CEO David Ellison in control of major entertainment brands including HBO, HBO Max and Paramount+. Both companies have undergone repeated name and platform changes in recent years, from Warner Media to WBD and from Paramount+ rebrands, reflecting ongoing restructuring across the industry.
Paramount has settled lawsuits from 12 states that sought to block its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. As part of the settlement, the combined company must spend at least $300 million more on US-produced film and TV projects and release a minimum of 30 movies per year for two years, rising to 32 annually for three more years, or pay $30 million per film shortfall into union healthcare and retirement funds.
Coyote vs. Acme, the film Warner Bros. once shelved for a $30 million tax write-off, has now crossed $100 million domestically and surpassed its $70 million production budget. Distributor Ketchum Entertainment credited fans for the milestone, and the film has outgrossed five of Warner Bros.' eight 2026 domestic releases, including The End of Oak Street.
Several states have agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit that sought to block the combination of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, removing the last major legal obstacle to the deal. Shares of both companies rose sharply following news of the settlement, as investors now expect the merger to move forward quickly.
Paramount Skydance reached a settlement with state attorneys general who had sued to block its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, avoiding a trial that was scheduled for next spring. As part of the deal, Paramount agreed to boost domestic production, follow certain theatrical release rules, and create a new board to oversee editorial independence at CBS News and CNN. CEO David Ellison told staff the company now expects to close the merger within about two weeks.