Will Warner Bros. kill Skydance — or will David Ellison kill Warner Bros?
Published
What's this about?
Today, I’m talking with Peter Kafka, chief correspondent at Business Insider and host of the Channels podcast, about the gigantic Warner Bros.-Paramount merger and the future of the company now simply called Skydance. Skydance is owned by David Ellison, son of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and its deal
The one-panel cartoon
Read the cartoon's script
A high-tech recording studio with large screens displaying movie trailers and a soundproof booth with an actor rehearsing lines, while outside, David Ellison casually walks in with a briefcase labeled 'Skydance,' oblivious to the chaos his acquisition has caused.
Caption: When you're David Ellison, every day feels like a movie set
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theverge.com.
Editor's note
As the entertainment industry continues to consolidate, the battle for creative dominance between Warner Bros. and Skydance highlights the long-term impact of corporate decisions on storytelling and innovation. The outcome of this merger will not only reshape the media landscape but also influence the direction of narrative arts for decades to come.
Rate this comic
Read the script
Panel 1
(a) What the subject of this story actually is and does: Warner Bros. and Paramount are merging to form a new media giant called Skydance, owned by David Ellison, the son of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Skydance is known for producing films and TV shows and is now taking over a major Hollywood studio, Warner Bros. (b) The ONE real irony or absurdity in the news: A smaller media company, Skydance, owned by a tech entrepreneur's son, is taking over a century-old Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., raising questions about the stability and future of the iconic brand. (c) The single funniest observation that becomes the highlight: Warner Bros., the iconic film studio, is being swallowed by Skydance, owned by the son of a tech mogul, in a bizarre reversal of Hollywood norms. ---
Panel 2
*Warner Bros. studios, a grandiose office with vintage movie posters lining the walls. Old Hollywood memorabilia is scattered around, with a classic typewriter and a reel-to-reel tape recorder on the desk. A middle-aged, weary-looking studio executive, JIM, sits at his desk, rubbing his temples.* JIM (sighing)
JIM: Another day at Warner Bros., where the past meets the future—and the future is... David Ellison?
Panel 3
*The same office, but with a modern, sleek office setup in the background. A young, ambitious, and slightly nervous-looking David Ellison’s assistant, LUCY, enters with a tablet and a look of trepidation on her face.* JIM (dryly)
LUCY: Mr. Ellison wants to meet with the Warner Bros. team tomorrow. He says it's to discuss the "new direction.
JIM: A "new direction" is just Hollywood code for "your legacy is now mine.
Panel 4
*The office, now with a large, futuristic screen displaying the logo of Skydance Media. Jim and Lucy stand there, looking at the screen. Jim, in disbelief, is holding an old, well-worn copy of the Warner Bros. annual report. Lucy looks at Jim, a mix of concern and amusement on her face.* LUCY (gently) JIM (skeptically) LUCY (chuckling) JIM (nodding, resigned)
LUCY: It's just business, Jim. They say we'll keep making great movies.
JIM: Great movies made by David Ellison? You know, he’s the guy who once made a robot that could tie its own shoelaces.
LUCY: Yeah, and he’s probably going to use that robot to tie the shoelaces of the Warner Bros. legacy.
JIM: Yeah, and that’s the kind of future we’re looking at.
Comments