Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, dcu, james gunn

DC Studios: Gunn & Safran Eyed by Ellison Post Paramount/WBD Merger

Bloomberg is reporting that Paramount Skydance Corp. CEO David Ellison would be looking to keep DC Studios, as well as heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, if a Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger were to happen.

Despite the successful roll that James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios is on, there's one thing powerful enough to derail it. Something so powerful that not even the combined might of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman could stop it. The potential "big bad" in all of this? Doctor Multimedia Merger! In case you hadn't heard, CEO David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has officially started fielding offers from those interested in buying the company or chunks of the company, making it clear that fielding offers doesn't mean that any deal will happen. Since that time, a number of suitors have either entered the conversation, with Netflix and Comcast/NBCUniversal reportedly eyeing a potential deal. But if reports are to be believed, Paramount Skydance Corp. CEO David Ellison has been making the hard push, looking to add WBD to the recently acquired Paramount (though it has also been reported that Ellison's three offers have been declined).

Of course, when mergers like these happen, big changes usually end up going down. For example, this morning saw Paramount begin rolling out significant layoffs, with the first wave impacting approximately 1,000 workers in the U.S. (with roughly another 1,000 layoffs planned for the second wave). "When we launched the new Paramount in August, we made clear that building a strong, future-focused company would require significant change – including restructuring the organization," Ellison wrote in a memo to the staff regarding the cuts. "We want to be as open and direct as possible about the reasons behind these changes. In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization. In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth. Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success."

However, according to Bloomberg sources allegedly close to the Paramount head's planning, Ellison wants to keep WBD intact if a merger is finalized, noting that he "wants to keep the creative teams of the two studios, while consolidating some of the marketing and distribution." That would mean Ellison would be looking to keep DC Studios' Gunn & Safran and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group's Michael De Luca & Pamela Abdy (assuming they would be looking to stay). In addition, the report claims that Ellison would be looking to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service. Also, Ellison reportedly isn't planning "to sell or spin off the cable networks of the two businesses," with CBS News and CNN seen as being able to compliment each other's news coverage.

Earlier this month, fans on social media wondered if Gunn was trying to send a message about the uncertainty of his future with WBD as merger news grew. During an interview with BobaTalks, Gunn discussed how important storyline details in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 will lead into and impact Lanterns, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, and the rest of the DCU moving forward. "If I s– Yes, they definitely go significantly further than 'Man of Tomorrow.' So, now, whether or not that'll be me that's able to fulfill that promise [laughs] depends on a lot of things in life, but yeah," Gunn responded. On its own, it reads as if Gunn is taking the approach of not wanting to think too far in advance because you never know what might happen. But in light of ongoing merger/sale talks, Gunn's words (and especially his hesitation at the opening of his response) have led some to believe that Gunn is already considering his options.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!