New Paramount boss says fun movies that appeal to middle America are his priority... including 'threequel' to iconic film

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Paramount Studios' new boss says all upcoming movies will be apolitical films that appeal to Middle America - with Top Gun 3 being a top priority.
David Ellison, 42, made the revelation at a press conference at the Paramount Pictures lot Wednesday where he and other execs provided his vision for the company.
Ellison also announced plans to up to 20 films-a-year - up from the 11 to 14 Paramount previously cranked out. All of these releases will be theatrical, he said - emphasizing the importance of big screen productions over streaming films.
Similarly, he refuses to use the studio's streaming platform, Paramount+, as a landing page for low-budget B films, he said.
Instead, Ellison aired plans to return Paramount to its glitzy glory days, following a lengthy regulatory review and Donald Trump 's suit surrounding edits to a '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris that some said was bias.
To do so, Ellison said he plans to build on franchises already proven popular with the American public.
He singled out properties like 'Star Trek' and 'Yellowstone' and a sequel to 2022's Top Gun: Maverick - calling the latter 'a massive priority for us,' he said.
Most importantly, are plans to shed any prior political connotations that may be tied to the company, he said. Paramount settled with Trump last month for $16million.
David Ellison, the new owner of Paramount Skydance, said he want to create films that appeal to Middle America and are not politicized during a press conference in Los Angeles Wednesday
'We're an entertainment company first, and I genuinely believe if you're breathing, you're our audience,' the 42-year-old tech scion said after months of being accused of bribery in regard to the Trump payout.
'I don't want to politicize this company.'
'We want to be in the business of speaking to everybody,' the son of MAGA supporting billion Larry Ellison continued.
'One of our biggest priorities is actually restoring Paramount as the No. 1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world.
'Very simply, great filmmakers make great movies.'
'World War Z', 'Transformers', 'The Goonies,' 'Gremlins', and 'Night at the Museum' are also expected to be built on, he said - emphasizing that 'the movies that we make will be made for theatrical' and not TVs.
One of the newly installed co-chairs of Paramount Pictures, Dana Goldberg added that alongside 'Top Gun,' moviegoers can expect a 'Star Trek' sequel very soon.
Skydance, Ellison's old company, previously partnered with Paramount for the last two 'Star Trek' films. Ellison was an executive producer and is a 'big fan' of the franchise, Scotty actor Simon Pegg said at an event last week.
Goldberg, a former Netflix exec, added how Ellison plans to use such properties to capture a wide audience.
'We are not going to be siloed off so that there's one conversation happening about television and another conversation happening about film,' she said.
'We're going to make sure these conversations are happening together so that we can do what's best for the brand as a whole.'
The days-old company has already secure the U.S. streaming and television rights for the ever-popular UFC MMA promotion for $7.7 billion - almost the same sum it spent to acquire Paramount.
Fights will air on Paramount+ and CBS exclusively for the next seven years, the company said - months after Ellison was spotted at a UFC event in Miami with Trump in April
Within those seven years, Ellison said he plans to make Paramount a major presence in Hollywood once again, where Paramount's offices will be located rather than New York.
In addition, Paramount has secured the rights to long-airing Comedy Central series South Park for $1.25 billion, with a separate deal with Trey Parker and Matt Stone that will last the next five years.
Ellison also added how he plans to embrace technology - unlike some of his competitors - to help his vision become a reality.
'Legacy media kind of swam out to the middle of the lake, but wasn't exactly sure how to get to the other side,' he said
'Some people wanted to go back and burn the boats.'
He said he intends to 'get to the other side of the lake.'
Ellison also said CBS was one of Paramount's most 'underappreciated' assets.