Warner Bros. Film Chiefs Reportedly on Their Way Out, While James Gunn and Peter Safran Stay at DC for Now
The Paramount and Warner Bros. merger has been reshaping Hollywood for months, and the leadership shake-up is finally coming into focus. With the deal set to close next week, the industry has been waiting to learn which executives will survive the transition. Now, a new report suggests the Warner Bros. leadership changes will hit the film studio’s top brass first.
The roughly $110 billion merger cleared its final major hurdle on Wednesday, when Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approved Paramount’s settlement with 12 state attorneys general. A day later, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison named Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO, focused on day-to-day management and integrating the combined businesses.
According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, citing 2 well-placed sources, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who have run the Warner Bros. movie studio since 2022, will not be joining the merged company. The report says they will be paid out through 2030.
The pair have reportedly not been officially told yet. A person close to Abdy and De Luca said neither had been informed of anything by Paramount leadership, and Paramount declined to comment. World of Reel reported that the calls are expected by Tuesday morning.
Taking their place, Ellison is reportedly elevating Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, who currently run Paramount’s film studio, to oversee both studios. Paramount has promised to release 30 movies a year, and a new executive is expected to be hired from outside or promoted internally to run Warner Bros.
The news is very different for DC. Belloni reports that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will be invited to stay on, at least initially. That caveat has fans wondering how long the arrangement will last.
Gunn and Safran have plenty of momentum to point to. While ‘Supergirl’ disappointed, the studio has earned positive buzz for HBO’s ‘Lanterns’, and anticipation around ‘Clayface’ continues to grow. Their next major film, ‘Man of Tomorrow’, is scheduled to open on July 9, 2027.
Some outlets have raised questions about the longer term. Cosmic Book News reported that its insiders say Gunn’s current contract runs out in 2027, leaving his future beyond that point uncertain.
De Luca and Abdy’s tenure was marked by dramatic highs and lows. Their early years included costly flops like ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ and ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, amid reports that WBD CEO David Zaslav was interviewing potential replacements.
They bounced back in a big way with hits including ‘A Minecraft Movie’, ‘Superman’, and ‘Weapons’, as well as Oscar winners ‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After Another’. Zaslav renewed their contracts just a year ago.
This year has been much tougher, though, with disappointments like ‘The Bride!’ and ‘Supergirl’. Their final Warner Bros. release is ‘Digger’, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s pricey Tom Cruise film, which opens this weekend amid soft projections.
The report arrived the same night Zaslav threw his farewell party in Beverly Hills, with De Luca, Abdy, Gunn, and Safran all among the guests. Cost savings may also be a factor, as Paramount reportedly needs to find $6 billion in savings to make the merger work.
Paramount is not commenting on any leadership moves, which are expected to be announced early next week ahead of Tuesday’s close. Until then, everything remains unofficial.
What do you think about the reported Warner Bros. leadership changes?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
