Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, the newly appointed co-chairs for Skydance Motion Picture Group, assured staffers that their film devisions would function independently in the aftermath of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
“Today marks Day One of a new chapter, and we are proud to share it with all of you,” the duo wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday. “It’s an immense privilege to make movies, and an even greater honor to do so as the stewards of two of the most storied studios in Hollywood history. We take that responsibility seriously and have enormous respect for the people, work and relationships that have made these studios what they are today.”
They added: “At the heart of that legacy is a simple belief that movies are best seen together, on a big screen. A century later, that human connection is still alive. Going to the movies is a communal tradition, where a story becomes a moment we carry together. That tradition is thriving, and David Ellison is making one of the biggest investments in its future. We believe in it, and we are all in.”
As Greenstein and Goldberg went on, they acknowledged that staffers may have some looming questions as the newly merged company moves forward. Specifically, they assured that their “mission is to build on these studios’ legacies as homes for the greatest filmmakers and storytellers,” adding, “We will embrace their vision, back it with the best marketing and distribution in the business and keep creating cultural moments that shape generations.”
“That means taking bold swings, alongside crowd-pleasers, with a steady willingness to push boundaries,” the memo read. “We have organized our film divisions around the movies themselves. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures will continue to build and release their slate of films separately, under those brands.”
“This means that each Warner Bros. Pictures or Paramount Pictures film you see will carry its respective logo,” they added. “They are the cornerstone labels and will remain the homes for our largest commercial and filmmaker-driven projects. DC Studios, New Line Cinema and Paramount Primal will continue as distinct labels with specific mandates. Our animation and specialty labels, including Republic Pictures and Warner Bros. Clockwork, will also operate independently.”
However, before concluding their statement, Greenstein and Goldberg hinted at changes to come.
“We won’t pretend a combination of this size comes without change. We know you will have questions, and we will respond to as many as we can, though we won’t be able to answer everything today,” they wrote. “In the months ahead, we will spend time with the teams across both studios, listening, learning and sharing updates along the way. Your experience and perspective will be essential in shaping what comes next. What we can say with confidence is that our purpose is simple, and it starts with the work in front of us.”
Greenstein and Goldberg’s memo came hours after Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s $110 billion merger closed Monday morning.
“Today is a historic day, not just for Skydance but for our entire industry. From the start, our ambition was to bring these two storied studios together and create a stronger competitor, with the talent, resources, and reach to tell great stories in every genre, on every platform, for audiences everywhere,” CEO David Ellison said in a statement. “Now that ambition is a reality.”
He added: “We’re grateful to everyone who made this possible – the employees, creative talent, and production teams of both companies, who worked tirelessly to get us here and inspire audiences around the world every day, as well as the advisors and partners who guided this transaction to completion. Our focus now turns to the future: building a company that empowers creatives, entertains audiences and rewards shareholders. We couldn’t be more excited to get to work.”
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