David Ellison's Hollywood career has been defined by high-octane blockbusters full of suspense, stunts and unlikely twists.
But on Sunday, it hit its biggest cliffhanger yet, closing a deal to merge with Paramount after months of negotiations with the company and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone. If the deal closes, he will head a large media empire that includes CBS, MTV and the Paramount movie studio.
Although Mr. Ellison, 41, joined the cast of Hollywood power players more than a decade ago, he has not taken the spotlight until now. Here's a look at his career.
Who is David Ellison and what is his company, Skydance?
A quick perusal of Mr. Ellison's page on the Internet Movie Database shows a relatively uneventful acting career, with supporting roles in such films as the combat drama “Flyboys” and the teen comedy “The Chumscrubber” (in which he played “Student No . 1”. Once he became a producer his star in Hollywood began to rise.
After dropping out of the University of Southern California and giving up acting, Mr. Ellison turned to producing. His family's considerable influence — he's the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison — helped him finance big-budget films like “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
Along the way, the valuation of Mr. Ellison's company Skydance Media has soared to more than $4 billion after private equity firms such as RedBird Capital Partners and KKR invested in it. Mr. Ellison, the Skydance chief executive, has co-produced hits such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “GI Joe: Retaliation” with Paramount, giving him a ticket to the company's executives and its most valuable franchises.
Long before he produced “Top Gun: Maverick,” Mr. Ellison was something of a daredevil himself. In 2022, he told the New York Times that he started flying airplanes in his teens and participated in aerobatic air shows until his 20s.
How is Mr. Ellison's family involved in Hollywood?
Larry Ellison — who had a cameo in “Iron Man 2” — is personally backing Skydance's bid for Paramount, throwing his wealth and expertise behind the deal.
David Ellison's sister Megan Ellison is also a Hollywood buff: In 2011, she founded Annapurna, which produced “Her” and “American Hustle.” Mr. Ellison's wife, Sandra Lynn, is also in show business: She's the country singer-songwriter behind hits like “I Think of You” and “Somebody Kissed Me at a Bar.” Neither Megan Ellison nor Sandra Lynn are on Skydance's executive team.
What are David Ellison's plans for Paramount?
Although Mr. Ellison has not publicly presented his plans for Paramount, he discussed them with a special committee of the company's board months ago. It has discussed teaming up with another major entertainment company on a streaming joint venture in the United States, bucking the broader trend toward bundling, according to two people familiar with its bid to Paramount's board.
Paramount shareholder Shari Redstone is enthusiastic about other aspects of the Skydance deal, two people familiar with her thinking said. He believes Mr. Ellison's management team will add technology and animation expertise to the combined company.
Mr. Ellison also pitched Paramount on a plan to supercharge the company's streaming capabilities with improved recommendations and more efficient deals with data providers, a person familiar with the pitch said. Skydance has ownership stakes in Paramount's most financially successful shows and movies, including “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun,” so bringing the two companies together could give the combined company more flexibility in managing its franchises.
A key figure in the discussions with Skydance is Jeff Shell, former CEO of NBCUniversal. Mr Shell, who joined Skydance backer RedBird Capital last year, will become chairman of Paramount.
Does Skydance have ties to other Hollywood companies?
Although Skydance has a deep relationship with Paramount, it has also produced films for other Hollywood studios. Skydance has a multi-year deal to produce animated films for Netflix and has worked with Amazon on films such as “The Tomorrow War” and “Without Remorse.”
Skydance has also recently entered the sports media space. Skydance Sports, a division launched in 2021, struck a deal in 2022 to partner with the National Football League to create a production company that will expand the reach of sports programming. And last year he produced “Air,” a film about the creation of Nike's Air Jordan brand.
Lauren Hirsch contributed to the report.
