Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance, David Ellison announces

By Brian Stelter, CNN

(CNN) — The combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance, CEO David Ellison announced Friday, a few days before the merger’s completion.

Ellison said Skydance will be a “creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling.”

Skydance was the name of the production company that Ellison founded in 2006.

The name originally came from “David’s love of aviation,” the production company’s website says. “An accomplished pilot, he took inspiration from flying aerobatics known as ‘skydancing’ — giving his new company a name to evoke limitless possibilities.”

When Ellison took control of Paramount in 2025, he renamed that company Paramount Skydance.

Now, with Ellison on the verge of taking over Warner Bros. Discovery, he introduced the new corporate name in a post on X on Friday morning.

“We chose this name for a few important reasons,” Ellison wrote. “First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic. Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations.”

“We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” Ellison wrote. “Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.”

The merger is expected to take effect on Tuesday. Ellison may announce the combined company’s leadership team on Monday, people familiar with the planning told CNN. He will lead a town hall and hold meetings in Los Angeles and New York next week.

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