Following the late February announcement of the $110-111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, Paramount CEO David Ellison addressed about 200 top Warner Bros. executives on March 10, 2026, at the Burbank studio lot. He outlined ambitions like increased theatrical releases and saluted CNN staff, while legal restrictions limited detailed strategy talks. Attendees called the session perfunctory, with concerns over cost savings and layoffs persisting.
On March 10, 2026, David Ellison, CEO of Paramount after Skydance's takeover, held a town hall at the Steven J. Ross Theatre on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California, with approximately 200 senior Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) executives. The event follows the late February agreement for Paramount to acquire WBD in a $110-111 billion deal, expected to close later in the year.
WBD CEO David Zaslav introduced Ellison, and both honored CNN staffers covering the war in Iran. Ellison gave prepared remarks and answered about a dozen anonymous questions, but antitrust laws barred detailed strategic or forward-looking discussions to avoid 'gun-jumping.' He still emphasized plans for 30 theatrical films per year, leveraging facilities at Paramount's Melrose Avenue lot (16 films) and Warner Bros. (14). He mentioned the DC Comics universe twice, praised motion picture group leaders Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy for two of last year's best movies, and showed knowledge of WBD's sports rights, financials, and brands.
Reactions were mixed: some execs found it enthusiastic and more theatrical-focused than Netflix's Ted Sarandos' prior visit, while others deemed it 'perfunctory' with platitudes, avoiding direct layoff talk. The merger eyes $6 billion in synergies, mainly non-personnel, though past deals like Skydance-Paramount cut 10% of staff. Post-meeting, Ellison lunched with HBO/HBO Max CEO Casey Bloys (contract ends 2027), after a March 5 lunch with Zaslav. The combined company would hold Paramount Pictures, CBS, HBO Max, and IPs like Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Game of Thrones, and DC.
