David Ellison has unveiled the Skydance leadership team expected to manage the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The announcement came one day before the companies expect to complete their landmark merger.
The new organization will operate under the Skydance name. However, Paramount, Warner Bros. and other established entertainment brands will retain their individual identities.
Ellison and Kreiz Will Lead Skydance
Ellison will serve as chairman and chief executive officer. Former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz will work alongside him as co-CEO.
Ellison will oversee long-term strategy, creative direction, technology, partnerships and capital allocation. Kreiz will manage daily operations and the integration of the two entertainment companies.
Andy Gordon will become president and work closely with both executives. Gordon helped organize Skydance’s 2025 acquisition of Paramount and its subsequent pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The corporate leadership group also includes Dennis Cinelli as chief financial officer. Makan Delrahim will serve as chief legal officer and president of global corporate affairs.
Dane Glasgow will become chief product officer. Rebecca Mall will lead marketing, while Melissa Zukerman will oversee communications. All members will report to Ellison and Kreiz, according to Paramount’s leadership announcement.
Skydance Leadership Team Combines Major Entertainment Brands
Several prominent Warner Bros. Discovery executives will remain with the merged company.
Casey Bloys, the longtime HBO executive, will become co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance’s direct-to-consumer division. His responsibilities will include original programming for HBO Max and Paramount+.
J.B. Perrette will share leadership of the streaming and television businesses. He will oversee areas including distribution, advertising, content sales and streaming strategy.
George Cheeks will co-lead Skydance TV. The division will include Warner Bros. Television Studios, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios. It will also oversee CBS, sports operations, local stations and more than 50 cable networks.
Those networks include BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, TBS and TNT.
Goldberg and Greenstein Take Charge of Movies
Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will become co-chairs of the Skydance Motion Picture Group. They will oversee Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and the company’s broader film portfolio.
Their responsibilities will cover production, development, distribution, marketing and long-term planning.
Meanwhile, James Gunn and Peter Safran will remain co-chairmen of DC Studios. The pair will continue directing the DC Universe across movies, television, animation, gaming and themed entertainment.
Several top Warner executives will depart during the transition. They include Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and film studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, the Los Angeles Times reported.
CNN and CBS News Retain Separate Leaders
CNN and CBS News will keep separate editorial leadership.
Mark Thompson will remain chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide. Bari Weiss will continue as editor-in-chief of CBS News. Both will report to Ellison and Kreiz as members of the news executive leadership team.
The arrangement follows regulatory scrutiny surrounding the merger and its potential effect on competition and editorial independence.
A federal judge recently approved Paramount’s settlement with 12 states that challenged the transaction. The agreement included commitments involving domestic film production, displaced entertainment workers and editorial monitoring at CNN and CBS.
The $81 billion acquisition is expected to close Oct. 6. It will place CBS, CNN, HBO, Paramount+, HBO Max, DC Studios and two historic movie studios within one company.
The leadership announcement provides the clearest picture yet of how that enormous collection of entertainment and news brands will operate. Audiences will now watch for changes to streaming services, theatrical releases, television programming and subscription prices.