David Ellison Triples Down on Theatrical at CinemaCon as Paramount Commits to 45-Day Release Window and ‘Minimum’ of 30 Movies a Year

The noise of political and artistic pressure be damned — David Ellison just wants to go to the movies.

The Skydance mogul made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon on Thursday, directly addressing global movie theater owners and making some big promises for his vision about a combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Ellison and his team are currently awaiting regulatory approval to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, less than a year after sealing the deal for Paramount Global.

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Ellison mic-dropped at the Las Vegas event by announcing that as of today, Paramount Pictures will offer a 45-day exclusive window for their movies to play in theaters. Other studios have been pledging to give exhibitors more time to pack audiences into their theaters before moving to paid and free streaming options. Universal Pictures will hit 45 days starting in 2027.

Furthermore, Ellison said Paramount will commit to a 3-month period for their movies to live on streaming video-on-demand platforms – a paid digital release equivalent to a rental or home entertainment purchase, before titles head to Paramount+.

When the transaction is completed, Ellison pledged that Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. would make a “minimum” of 30 films for theaters across both studios.

A stunning short film celebrating Paramount Picture’s past, present and future — directed by new Paramount talent Jon M. Chu — preceded Ellison’s remarks. The short was narrated by Tom Cruise, and featured a dizzying array of stars and filmmakers including Timothee Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Mark Wahlberg, Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner, Will Smith, Molly Ringwald, John Krasinski, Issa Rae and the Duffer Brothers.

More to come …