David Ellison’s Hollywood profession has been outlined by high-octane blockbusters stuffed with suspense, stunts and inconceivable plot twists.
However on Sunday he landed his greatest cliffhanger but, placing a deal to merge with Paramount after months of negotiations with the corporate and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone. If the deal closes, he might be accountable for a sprawling media empire that features CBS, MTV and the Paramount film studio.
Although Mr. Ellison, 41, joined the forged of Hollywood’s energy gamers greater than a decade in the past, he hasn’t taken heart stage till now. Right here’s a have a look at his profession.
Who’s David Ellison, and what’s his firm, Skydance?
A fast perusal of Mr. Ellison’s web page on the Web Film Database reveals a comparatively undistinguished performing profession, with minor roles in movies just like the fighter drama “Flyboys” and teenage comedy “The Chumscrubber” (by which he performed “Scholar No. 1”). It wasn’t till he grew to become a producer that his star in Hollywood started to rise.
After he dropped out of the College of Southern California and gave up on performing, Mr. Ellison turned to producing. His household’s appreciable affect — he’s the son of the Oracle founder Larry Ellison — helped him bankroll big-budget movies like “Mission: Unattainable — Ghost Protocol” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
Alongside the way in which, the valuation of Mr. Ellison’s firm Skydance Media ballooned to greater than $4 billion, after private-equity companies like RedBird Capital Companions and KKR invested in it. Mr. Ellison, the chief government of Skydance, has co-produced hits like “High Gun: Maverick” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” with Paramount, giving him an entree to the corporate’s executives and its most beneficial franchises.
Lengthy earlier than he produced “High Gun: Maverick,” Mr. Ellison was one thing of a daredevil himself. In 2022 he informed The New York Instances that he began flying planes in his adolescence and competed in acrobatic air reveals into his 20s.
How is Mr. Ellison’s household concerned in Hollywood?
Larry Ellison — who had a cameo in “Iron Man 2” — is personally backing Skydance’s bid for Paramount, throwing his wealth and tech experience behind the deal.
David Ellison’s sister, Megan Ellison, can also be a Hollywood fixture: In 2011, she based Annapurna, which produced “Her” and “American Hustle.” Mr. Ellison’s spouse, Sandra Lynn, can also be in showbusiness: She’s the nation singer-songwriter behind songs like “I Consider You” and “Someone Kissed Me at a Bar.” Neither Megan Ellison nor Sandra Lynn are on Skydance’s government group.
What are David Ellison’s plans for Paramount?
Although Mr. Ellison hasn’t laid out his plans for Paramount publicly, he mentioned them with a particular committee of the corporate’s board months in the past. He has mentioned working with one other main leisure firm on a streaming three way partnership in the USA, holding with the broader development towards bundling, in line with two individuals conversant in his pitch to Paramount’s board.
Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, is smitten by different facets of the Skydance deal, two individuals conversant in her pondering mentioned. She thinks Mr. Ellison’s administration group will add tech and animation know-how to the mixed firm.
Mr. Ellison additionally pitched Paramount on a plan to supercharge the corporate’s streaming capabilities with improved suggestions and extra environment friendly offers with knowledge suppliers, an individual conversant in his presentation mentioned. Skydance has possession stakes in Paramount’s most financially profitable reveals and flicks, together with “Mission: Unattainable” and “High Gun,” so uniting the 2 companies might give the mixed firm better flexibility in managing its franchises.
A key government in discussions with Skydance is Jeff Shell, the previous chief government of NBCUniversal. Mr. Shell, who joined the Skydance backer RedBird Capital final yr, will turn out to be the president of Paramount.
Does Skydance have ties to different Hollywood corporations?
Although Skydance has a deep relationship with Paramount, it has additionally produced motion pictures for different Hollywood studios. Skydance has a multiyear deal to supply animated movies for Netflix, and it has partnered with Amazon on movies together with “The Tomorrow Warfare” and “With out Regret.”
Skydance has additionally these days gotten into the sports-media enterprise. Skydance Sports activities, a division began in 2021, struck a deal in 2022 to associate with the Nationwide Soccer League to create a manufacturing firm that may increase the attain of sports activities programming. And final yr it produced “Air,” a film in regards to the making of Nike’s Air Jordan model.
Lauren Hirsch contributed reporting.
