Paramount's Ellison Courts UK Creatives with Pledge of 30 Films Yearly, Vows to Counter "Monopolistic" Trends in Warner Bros. Discovery Bid

Paramount Global Chairman and CEO David Ellison has directly appealed to the UK's film and television community, laying out a series of concrete pledges aimed at easing concerns over the studio's aggressive pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). In a detailed open letter, Ellison framed the potential merger not as a market-shrinking consolidation, but as a necessary bulwark to foster greater choice and competition.

"Audiences are ultimately served by more options, not fewer," Ellison wrote, addressing "the British creative community, fellow film lovers, and the industry at large." He argued that a healthy ecosystem requires "a marketplace that encourages the full spectrum of filmmaking," explicitly rejecting a path that would "eliminate meaningful competition by creating a monopolistic entity."

Commitments at a Glance

Central to the pitch is a commitment to theatrical scale. Ellison vowed that a combined Paramount-Warner entity would produce a minimum of 30 feature films for cinemas annually, with each studio contributing at least 15. This marks a significant ramp-up for Paramount, which has already increased its output from eight to 15 films since finalizing its deal with Skydance last August.

Beyond volume, the letter outlined several operational guarantees designed to protect traditional industry windows and brand integrity. These include:

• Maintaining HBO as an independent operation with its creative identity intact.
• Ensuring every film receives a full global theatrical release, with a guaranteed 45-day window before moving to paid video-on-demand services.
• Aiming for extended 60-90 day theatrical runs for major releases.
• Preserving the subsequent home video release window.
• Continuing to license content to third-party platforms and actively acquiring projects from independent producers.

Strategic Context: A Counter to Netflix?

Ellison positioned the proposed merger in direct contrast to the strategies of leading streaming giants, notably Netflix. The combination, he argued, is "intended to strengthen competition by creating a more capable and effective rival to the dominant platforms." This rhetoric aligns with Paramount's ongoing proxy fight against a separate, proposed merger between WBD and Netflix announced late last year. Regulatory filings show Paramount has already submitted a preliminary proxy statement opposing that deal.

Industry Voices React

The letter has sparked immediate debate within creative circles.

"Ellison's specific numbers on theatrical output are a welcome dose of clarity in an era of vague streaming promises," said Michael Thorne, a veteran film producer based in London. "Guaranteeing a 45-day window is a tangible commitment to the cinematic experience that many felt was slipping away."

"This is a clever PR move targeting regulators and creatives, but the proof will be in the greenlights," noted Sarah Chen, a media analyst at Brighton Global Insights. "The promise of 30 films is ambitious, but the real test is the diversity and risk-profile of those projects. Will it truly be a boon for independent voices, or just more franchise fare?"

"It's rich to hear anti-monopoly talk from someone trying to build a mega-studio," fired Declan Walsh, a columnist for a prominent industry blog. "Pledging to 'maintain competition' while attempting one of the largest media mergers in years is paradoxical. This feels less like a commitment to artists and more like a calculated script to win regulatory approval and sink the Netflix deal."

The open letter signifies a strategic shift by Paramount, moving beyond financial filings to wage a public relations campaign aimed at a key stakeholder group—the creators whose support could influence regulatory and public perception of the high-stakes acquisition.