David Ellison made a surprise appearance at Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation last Thursday to state his company’s commitment to providing a robust slate of movies to theatres. Ellison explained that after its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. is completed, the combined output of Paramount and WB will add up to roughly 30 new films each year, each with a 45-day exclusive theatrical window and 90-day SVOD window.
Ellison’s appeal was followed by a presentation by Warner Bros.’ film heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who committed to releasing 18 new films theatrically in 2027. Ellison was clearly trying to assuage concerns across the movie industry about the potential for negative consequences from the WBD-PSKY merger.
However, many from the exhibition are not yet fully on board. Michael O’Leary, the head of the Cinema United trade association of movie theatres, used his state-of-the-industry presentation at CinemaCon to emphasize the need for Paramount to go beyond non-binding statements of support and instead agree to enforceable, long-term commitments to theatrical releasing.
Earlier in the week, over 2,000 Hollywood creatives put their names to a letter of opposition to the deal, citing concerns about reduced creative opportunities, job losses, and further industry consolidation. Signatories include major talent with a history of working with Warner Bros., including Noah Wyle, the star of HBO Max’s hit streaming series THE PITT.
