Photo Credit: Getty Images
Paramount’s new Skydance-backed leadership is wasting no time charting the studio’s future, signaling an ambitious push into marquee franchises, fresh original stories, and a larger annual film output. Days after the Skydance-Paramount merger closed last week, co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg — also Vice Chair of Platforms and Chair of Paramount Television, respectively — made a bold statement by acquiring High Side, the high-profile Timothée Chalamet–James Mangold package.
At a press event in Los Angeles, new CEO David Ellison underlined the mission: “One of our biggest priorities is restoring Paramount as the No. 1 studio for filmmakers and talent in the world. Great filmmakers make great movies. For us, we’re going to strategically scale the amount of content for our streaming service as well as studios.”
Paramount has averaged 11 to 14 films annually in recent years, but the new leadership is targeting 15 films per year immediately, ramping up to 20 in the near future. AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron welcomed the move, noting that Skydance’s stronger financial footing could help Paramount greenlight more movies than before.
Franchises are front and center. Top Gun 3 is a top priority following the record-breaking success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, which grossed $2.6 billion globally and was co-financed 50% by Skydance. With Tom Cruise’s schedule now open post-Mission: Impossible, momentum on the project could accelerate.
Star Trek is also a key focus. Two films are in development: one introducing entirely new characters, directed by Toby Haynes with Seth Grahame-Smith writing, and another returning to the classic crew of Captain Kirk and Spock, with J.J. Abrams producing.
Other tentpoles on the slate include the Transformers franchise, which saw 2023’s Rise of the Beasts and the animated Transformers One, as well as A Quiet Place Part III, slated for summer 2027 under John Krasinski’s direction. The animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem sequel is also dated for September 17, 2027, alongside a live-action adaptation of the graphic novel.
Family movies and R-rated comedies are set to share the stage with blockbusters, with projects like Winter Games (starring Miles Teller and Hailee Steinfeld), Sam & Victor’s Day Off (a Ferris Bueller spinoff), and What Kids Want.
Inherited Skydance projects such as The Rescue, an untitled John Tuggle film starring David Corenswet, a Mike Hammer adaptation with Matthew McConaughey, and The Traveler from Lee Isaac Chung are now poised to become Paramount priorities.
While no greenlights have been issued yet, the message is clear: under Skydance’s stewardship, Paramount intends to reclaim its position as a powerhouse for filmmakers, audiences, and theatrical exhibition alike.
