LAS VEGAS — Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026, pledging that his planned combination with Warner Bros. Discovery would produce at least 30 films per year across both studios. Ellison appeared onstage during Paramount's presentation after a promotional video directed by Jon M. Chu.

"I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word: Once we combine with Warner Bros., we are going to make a minimum of 30 films annually, across both studios," Ellison said, addressing theater owners gathered at the annual convention. "Film is one of our nation's earliest art forms — and it is still one of our most powerful cultural exports," he added.

The promotional video that preceded his entrance featured Tom Cruise sitting atop the Paramount water tower alongside other stars and filmmakers including Timothée Chalamet, James Cameron, Teyana Taylor, and Johnny Knoxville.

Ellison agreed in late February to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, prevailing over Netflix for control of the company. The target company includes a movie studio, HBO, and cable channels including CNN. Ellison is the son of Larry Ellison.

The Justice Department is reviewing the proposed merger on antitrust grounds. Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, and more than 2,000 Hollywood professionals released an open letter arguing that the deal would hurt an industry "already under severe strain." The letter was organized by advocacy groups including the Committee for the First Amendment.

"The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world. Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four," the letter stated. Fonda separately said it "would be one of the most destructive threats to free speech and creative expression in our history."