Trending Now - David Ellison Discusses Challenges With Warner Bros. Executives

WHO:

David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery

Approximately 160 Warner Bros. executives in attendance

Over 300 executives participating via videoconference

Warner Bros. motion picture heads Pamela Abdy and Mike De Luca

Warner Bros. TV Group chief Channing Dungey

HBO’s Casey Bloys

Head of streaming JB Perrette

DC Studios co-head Peter Safran

Andy Gordon, Chief Operating Officer of Paramount

WHAT:

Ellison addressed Warner Bros. executives about Paramount’s pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Ellison spoke for about 10 minutes and took about a dozen questions from the audience.

He stated that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. would produce 30 films per year (15 from each studio).

Ellison mentioned that Paramount expects upwards of $6 billion in cost savings from the merger.

He claimed that most cost synergies would not come from layoffs.

Ellison discussed the proposed combination of HBO Max and Paramount+.

He confirmed that CNN would remain editorially independent.

WHERE:

The meeting took place at the Steven J. Ross Theater on Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California.

WHEN:

The meeting occurred on March 10th, 2026.

Paramount expects the acquisition deal to close in the third quarter of 2026.

A “ticking fee” of 25 cents per share will be paid to shareholders for every quarter the deal is not completed after September 30th, 2026.

WHY:

The meeting was intended to introduce Ellison to the Warner Bros. team he will be acquiring as part of the merger.

HOW:

The session included a 30-minute Q&A moderated by Robert Gibbs, Warner Bros. Discovery head of communications.

Ellison and Zaslav had lunch on March 5th, 2026, prior to the meeting.

(UPDATED March 11, 2026 11:12 UTC)

In a significant meeting held on March 10, 2026, at the Steven J. Ross Theater in Burbank, California, Paramount CEO David Ellison addressed approximately 160 Warner Bros. executives about the pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison spoke for about ten minutes, outlining plans for the combined company to produce 30 films annually and highlighting expected cost savings of over $6 billion, while assuring that most synergies would not involve layoffs. The session included a 30-minute Q&A moderated by Robert Gibbs, and Ellison confirmed that CNN would remain editorially independent after the merger.