David Ellison Is Promising Theater Owners Contractual Guarantees for Paramount-Warner Bros. 30-Film Annual Slate. But What if Moviegoers Don’t Care?

Aug 9, 2026 6:49am PT David Ellison Is Promising Theater Owners Contractual Guarantees for Paramount-Warner Bros. 30-Film Annual Slate. But What if Moviegoers Don’t Care?

By Todd Spangler

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Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

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WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: David Ellison attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft - The Tour Live in 3D" at Village Theatre on May 06, 2026 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

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There’s no question that David Ellison, the doggedly ambitious CEO of Paramount Skydance, loves movies and filmmaking. In making his case for Paramount’s eye-poppingly pricey megadeal to merge with Warner Bros., he has repeatedly pledged that the combined company will release a lot more movies — to the tune of at least 30 titles per year in theaters.

When Ellison launched his hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, before he beat out Netflix to clinch a deal, he planted a flag with a pledge that the merged entity would pump more than 30 titles into theaters with “traditional” windows. And ever since, he’s been waving the 30-film number around like a magic wand that will save the movie business.