There’s surprises, and then there’s surprises.
David Ellison fell into the latter category Thursday as made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners. He took to the stage to reassure cinema operator that they have nothing to fear, whether it be the new regime at Paramount or his pending acquisition of Warner Bros.
“I want to look every single one of you in the eye and promise once we combine with Warner Bros., we going to make a minimum 30 movies a year. Every film will be released in theaters with minimum 45 day window and SVOD in 90 days,” he said.
Hollwood’s new conquering hero took to the stage after the new regime played a video directed by Jon M. Chu heralding the bright future that lies ahead for Paramount, which was almost driven into the ground in recent years. The video featured a slew of top talent the new regime at Paramount is in business with, led by Tom Cruise, Timothée Chalamet, Sherry Lansing, Gina Prince-Bythewood, James Cameron, Chris Pratt and Will Smith.
The video, first revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, ends with Cruise sitting on the very top of the water tower and looking out onto the horizon
“Long lived the movies. That’s something I know all of us deeply believe in,” said Ellison, who name chekced Chu, his friend form USC film school.
He also heaped praise on the audience before him, calling the theater business “smart business,” adding, “Nowhere else can you launch a multi-platform franchise or IP that can grow and thrive for generations to come. It’s good for the heart, it’s good for our business, and most importantly, it’s good for our people.”
He also touted his team’s progress since taking over Paramount in August 2025.
“At Paramount, we’ve already demonstrated since launching the new company just eight months ago, our ability to increase output with 15 films currently dated for 2026 up from eight in 2025,” he said. “People can speculate all they long, but I’m standing here telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment and we’ll show you again. Thank you for your partnership. We’re thrilled to have you on this journey with us, and we are incredibly excited for what’s ahead.”
More to come.
