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Ellison’s Hands-On, Arm’s-Length Paramount Preview

Skydance’s leader told me he’ll be involved in the decisions at Paramount Global during the deal-review process “within all the regulatory bounds we have,” and that he’ll maintain “the appropriate seat at the tables.” But what does that actually mean in practice?

David Ellison
Ellison’s Skydance now must act like an engaged Mormon, keeping an arm’s length between its merger partner until they’re officially consummated. Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Matthew Belloni
July 12, 2024

Paramount released the Gladiator II trailer on Tuesday, just as the studio’s own conquerors were in a conference room across town discussing the twilight of the Roman—sorry, Redstone—empire. In their public comments, including to me on Monday, David Ellison and his financial partner Gerry Cardinale have been purposely vague about their exact plans for New Paramount, instead painting on a thick coat of tech platitudes over the massive challenges facing the business they just acquired.