David Ellison Could Make a Move on Warner Bros. Discovery

Following Paramount Skydance’s $8 billion merger, Ellison is said to be weighing a potential cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery as speculation grows over Hollywood’s next major deal

There could be another shake-up for Hollywood soon.

With Warner Bros. Motion Picture chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy signing new contracts, Deadline reports that David Zaslav runs Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) could soon become the next addition for David Ellison and Paramount Skydance.

No formal offer has been made yet, but Ellison, whose company recently completed an $8 billion merger with Paramount, is said to be weighing a potential cash bid. Backed by his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the Skydance chief is reportedly eager to avoid the kind of drawn-out process that defined the Paramount deal.

According to reports from Deadline, there appears to be little room for Zaslav in a merged studio. At most, he could be offered a board seat or adversity role, however, his long-term involvement seems unlikely. 

Reports also note that Zaslav has been seeking alternative buyers like Netflix, but analysts doubt the streamer would pay between $75 billion and $100 billion for WBD, citing the company’s cable assets and complex distribution structure.

For now, speculation centers around whether Ellison will move before WBD completes its planned split of the linear and streaming divisions. This is a change that could raise the price tag. With few competitors able to match Ellison’s resources, the prospect of a Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery union remains a high possibility.