It seems like it’s really happening. Paramount will be buying Warner Bros., and the two companies will merge. Even though some antitrust concerns muddied the waters at the start, somehow or another, all of those seemed to vanish. We’re not sure we saw the part where the newly combined Paramount and Warner Bros. agreed to anything to reduce the combined company’s giant size, but one way or another, the two will merge. And now we know the new name of the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. company is Skydance.
The New Name for Warner Bros. and Paramount Is Skydance
The new name for the combined Warner Bros. and Paramount company will be Skydance. This name comes from chairman and CEO David Ellison’s original film production company, Skydance Media. On Twitter, Ellison shared the following note:
What once was the peak, is now just the beginning.
Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture. By combining them, we aren’t rewriting history — we’re equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine. Together, we are Skydance: a creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling.
We chose this name for a few important reasons. First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic. Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations. We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one. Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.
We have big goals for Skydance, and we intend to pursue them with passion, imagination and a willingness to take smart risks. At the same time, we will honor what makes Paramount and Warner Bros. special — giving both studios the opportunity to grow, tell more great stories and bring those stories to even broader audiences around the world, powered by the scale and capabilities of Skydance.
I couldn’t be more excited about what we’re going to build together.
What Brands Will Skydance Encompass After Warner Bros. and Paramount Merge?
In Ellison’s message, he includes a video that tours through everything the newly titled Skydance will encompass when Warner Bros. and Paramount merge. And… yeah… It’s a lot. From DC, including Superman, Batman, and more, to The Lord of the Rings, from Game of Thrones to Nickelodeon, Yellowstone, Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, we saw Grease in there; there’s Star Trek… It feels like too much.
In total, Skydance will own the movie studios of Paramount and Warner Bros.; the HBO Max and Paramount+ streaming services; and TV channels including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, Food Network, and more.
With a Name Confirmed, All That’s Left Is for Warner Bros. and Paramount to Actually Merge Into Skydance
It looks like the deal to turn Warner Bros. and Paramount into Skydance will close on October 6. Skydance will be headed up by chairman and CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, who joins from Mattel.
Nerdist Take: When Only One Company Is Making Decisions for So Many Brands, That Will Naturally Be Limiting
For now, Skydance promises to maintain the integrity of all its brands, including Warner Bros., Paramount, CNN, and more… But we suppose the company would promise that, wouldn’t it? We’ll have to watch closely to see which direction this giant takes its many movie and TV brands. Whatever choices Skydance, one, single company, makes could have a massive impact on the media landscape… And that’s just a little bit terrifying.
Even if Skydance tries to allow brand diversity and different IPs to have different voices, there will still be only one company and one set of decision-makers in play. By definition, that’s limiting a diversity of thought. Naturally, if every brand or company was its own entity, there would be many more voices and imaginations in play. And when the proposition goes beyond simply entertainment and into news and beyond, we have to say, we’d prefer more companies over one.