Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has said on 2 October, 2026, that the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery company will be named Skydance.
What did David Ellison Say?
It marks a full-circle moment for a company that has gone through two major acquisitions in 18 months. In a social media post on Friday, Ellison said the combined company would be called Skydance, describing it as a “creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling” while keeping Paramount and Warner Bros. as separate studios.
David Ellison said the new corporate name was intended to give the merged company its own identity without overshadowing its established brands.
“We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” he said. “Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.”
The combined entity is also expected to release 35 films next year, according to Rentrak data, the highest annual output for a studio since at least the start of the century.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Paramount settled an antitrust lawsuit with a group of state attorneys general that sought to block the $110 billion merger.
Ellison names Ynon Kreiz co-CEO of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery
announced on Wednesday the appointment of outgoing Mattel Chief Executive Officer Ynon Kreiz as his co-CEO of the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The pair will lead as “one team,” with Kreiz set to take on the operational duties of the media company, according to a press release. Kreiz will become co-CEO effective at the closing of the merger and will also join the company’s board of directors.
“Ellison will focus on the company’s long-term strategy, creative vision and direction, including its talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation,” Paramount stated in the release. “Kreiz will focus on the company’s day-to-day management and integration of the combined businesses.”
Earlier on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, Mattel announced Kreiz was departing the company after eight years in the top job.
Paramount CEO Ellison asks CNN chief to stay after Warner Bros deal
Paramount CEO David Ellison has reportedly asked CNN CEO Mark Thompson to remain in his role after Paramount completes its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, according a Reuters report citing officials familiar with the development.
The two have discussed a new contract in recent weeks but have yet to agree on terms. Thompson is seeking assurances over editorial independence and broad control of CNN’s journalism, the Reuters report added.
The acquisition will bring CNN and CBS News under the same ownership, with Paramount still working out how the two news operations will work together. A US judge has approved the deal following a settlement with 12 states that had challenged the merger.
Under the settlement, the combined company must establish an independent News Editorial Independence Board to protect editorial autonomy and fact-based reporting at both CNN and CBS News.