During an unannounced appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday, David Ellison promised theater owners a robust, cinema-first strategy from a combined Paramount and Warner Bros.—and put a number on it. Ellison, whose Skydance-run group now controls Paramount and is pursuing Warner Bros., told exhibitors that once the companies are merged, the combined studio will release at least 30 films a year, all debuting in theaters with an exclusive 45-day theatrical window and streaming availability after 90 days, per the Hollywood Reporter.
"Long live the movies," Ellison said onstage, stressing that theaters remain "a smart business" and the foundation for long-term franchises and intellectual property. The appearance came days after Ellison missed a Senate antitrust subcommittee hearing on the Warner Bros. deal, with a Paramount executive citing a death in the family in a letter to Sen. Cory Booker. The acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, in a deal valued at $111 billion, has opposition. But Ellison came to the conference intending to show that movies and theaters are a priority, per the AP, bringing a glossy mini movie extolling the studio's past and future directed by Jon M. Chu, narrated by Tom Cruise, and featuring a list of Hollywood stars.
Ellison said the restructured Paramount, launched under his control about eight months ago, has already increased its dated slate to 15 films for 2026, up from eight in 2025. Paramount film chiefs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg outlined plans for a broad mix of titles, from major franchises—including confirmation of Top Gun 3—to family films, genre projects, R-rated comedies and originals. They also announced that a Call of Duty movie is scheduled for 2028, a project Ellison has pursued for years. While acknowledging speculation about the merger and the industry's direction, Ellison told the exhibitors, "You can count on our complete commitment."
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