David Ellison's Hollywood career has been defined by high-octane blockbusters filled with suspense, stunts and improbable plot twists.
But on Sunday, he pulled off his biggest cliffhanger yet, closing a merger deal with Paramount Pictures and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, after months of negotiations that would give him control of a vast media empire that includes CBS, MTV and Paramount Film Studios.
Ellison, 41, joined the ranks of Hollywood's powerful men more than a decade ago, but he's kept a low profile until now. Here's a look back at his career.
Who is David Ellison and what is his company, Skydance?
A quick perusal of Ellison's page on the Internet Movie Database reveals a relatively low-profile acting resume, with minor roles in films like fighter jet drama “The Flyboys” and teen comedy “Chumscrubbers” (as “Student No. 1”). It wasn't until he became a producer that his star began to rise in Hollywood.
After dropping out of USC and giving up on acting, Mr. Ellison turned to producing. He is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, and his family's considerable influence has allowed them to finance blockbusters such as “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ellison's company, Skydance Media, has seen its valuation balloon to more than $4 billion thanks to investments from private-equity firms including RedBird Capital Partners and KKR. As Skydance's chief executive, Mr. Ellison has produced hits such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” with Paramount, giving him access to the company's executives and its most valuable franchises.
Long before he produced “Top Gun: Maverick,” Ellison was a daredevil himself: He told The New York Times in 2022 that he began flying planes as a teenager and competed in acrobatic air shows into his 20s.
How is Ellison's family connected to Hollywood?
Larry Ellison, who made a cameo appearance in Iron Man 2, is personally backing Skydance's bid to acquire Paramount, putting his money and technology expertise into the deal.
David Ellison's sister, Megan Ellison, is also a Hollywood fixture, having founded Annapurna, the company that produced “Her” and “American Hustle,” in 2011. Ellison's wife, Sandra Lynn, also has a career in show business, and is a country singer and songwriter whose songs include “I Think of You” and “Somebody Kissed Me at a Bar.” Neither Megan nor Sandra Lynn are on Skydance's executive team.
What are David Ellison's plans for Paramount?
Mr. Ellison has not made his plans for Paramount public, but he discussed them several months ago with a special committee of the company's board. In line with a general trend toward bundling, Mr. Ellison explored working with another big entertainment company on a streaming joint venture in the U.S., according to two people with knowledge of his proposal to the Paramount board.
Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone is enthusiastic about other aspects of a Skydance deal, two people familiar with her thinking said, and believes Ellison's management team would bring technology and animation know-how to the combined company.
Ellison also pitched Paramount plans to bolster its streaming capabilities with improved recommendations and more efficient deals with data providers, a person familiar with his presentation said.Skydance owns some of Paramount's most financially successful shows and movies, including “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun,” and a combination of the two companies could give the combined company more flexibility in managing its franchises.
One of the key executives in talks with Skydance is former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, who joined Skydance backer RedBird Capital last year and will become president of Paramount.
Does Skydance have relationships with other Hollywood companies?
Skydance has strong ties to Paramount but also produces films for other Hollywood studios: It has a multiyear deal to produce animated movies for Netflix and has partnered with Amazon on films such as “The Tomorrow War” and “Without Remorse.”
Skydance has also recently branched out into sports media: Skydance Sports, a division it launched in 2021, inked a deal to launch a production company in 2022 to partner with the National Football League and expand the reach of its sports programming. It also produced “Air,” a film about the birth of Nike's Air Jordan brand, last year.
Lauren Hirsch Contributed report.
