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Paramount CEO David Ellison wants to release 30 films annually. History and Hollywood say it’s unrealistic
CEO of Paramount Skydance David Ellison speaks on stage during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images
Paramount CEO David Ellison is trying to do something that no other studio has done in the modern age of cinema — release 30 films annually.
Ellison once again promised this theatrical feat in front of thousands of exhibitors at CinemaCon earlier this month. Applause erupted from the crowd after he made the pronouncement.
But privately, movie theater operators have expressed concerns and skepticism about the proposed future slate of films. While a massive string of releases would help cinemas, companies doubt he will be able to follow through on the promise.
His 30-film plan would hinge on Paramount receiving regulatory approval for its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which the latter company’s shareholders approved last week. Ellison noted that each studio would produce 15 films a year.
However, Ellison has not provided many details about those 30 releases, and it’s not clear how he would hit the ambitious goal. Representatives for Paramount did not reply to CNBC’s request for comment.
It’s unclear if all of the films would have wide releases (meaning they eventually play in at least 1,500 theaters, though the typical benchmark is 2,000). It’s also not certain whether the company will count films it distributes but doesn’t produce as part of this figure, or how many of those proposed titles will be considered tentpole blockbusters.
Movie theater operators and industry experts are skeptical that Paramount would be able to sustain a 30-film slate after the initial merger. After all, part of the consolidation process is eliminating redundancies, which inevitably leads to layoffs as well as cost-cutting measures that often result in fewer productions.
“When it comes to traditional brand-new wide release films, 30 movies a year is a lofty plan given that most distributors are releasing on average anywhere from 10 to 15 wide releases each year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at Comscore.
In fact, in the last 25 years, no studio has released 30 films in a single year. The combination of 20th Century Fox and Searchlight came close in 2006 when the studios had 25 wide releases, according to data from Comscore.
The data also show that when studios have merged in the past, the result has been fewer theatrical releases, not more.
Prior to acquiring 21st Century Fox and its studio assets, Disney was averaging 12 films a year dating back to 2000. Meanwhile, the combined efforts of 20th Century Fox and Searchlight averaged 16 films during that same time. Not including 2020, in which theatrical releases were impacted by pandemic-related cinema closures, Disney has averaged around 13 films a year following the 2019 merger.
The line chart shows the annual film releases by Disney and 20th Century between 2000 and 2019 ahead of the two companies’ eventual merger.
“I don’t remember any instance with consolidation where one plus one equals two,” Eric Handler, managing director and senior research analyst at Roth Capital Partners, told CNBC.
Additionally, a combined Paramount and Warner Bros. slate would face some logistical issues in placing 30 films on a 52-week calendar, as well as competition for coveted premium large format theaters.
The wider Hollywood cohort has also balked at the merger, citing similar concerns about job losses and reduced productions. More than 4,000 A-listers, including Robert De Niro, David Fincher, Pedro Pascal and Florence Pugh have signed an open letter opposing the combination of the two companies.
At least one theater operator, however, is supportive of the merger. AMC CEO Adam Aron came out in favor of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. during CinemaCon earlier this month.
“Of particular importance are David’s public commitments to expand film distribution by Paramount and Warner to at least 30 movies per year, and his vocal embrace of a 45-day exclusive theatrical window,” he wrote in a statement.
“I am confident that David Ellison is sincere as to his intentions, and truly believe that he in fact will wind up delivering on these commitments,” he added.
‘Empty seats and vacant screens’
However, Ellison’s target would not only be higher than any recent precedent — it would be significantly more.
“Historically, the max you’re seeing out of the studio is sort of 20 a year,” said Doug Creutz, senior research analyst at TD Cowen.
He noted that studios like Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. have the funds to make 30 films annually, but they don’t not only because is it not profitable to do so, but also because few studios have enough quality IP or original stories to put out in a year.
“If you had 30 good ideas, then I’d say do it, but you won’t,” he said. “Most studios don’t have 20 good ideas.”
“I think that the reality of it is that they’ll realize that, they probably realize it already, but they’re saying 30 because you’re trying to get the deal approved,” Creutz added. “I would say my guess is that there isn’t a year where Warner plus Paramount release 30 films unless the slates are already set pre-merger.”
This sentiment was repeated by industry analysts, movie theater owners and even rival studios during private conversations CNBC had at CinemaCon earlier this month. More so, there was an overwhelming sense of tension between studios and cinema operators, particularly when it came to the number of theatrical titles being offered up.
Theater companies would welcome more quality releases, but there has been a shortage of them following the Covid pandemic.
“I tell people that the only thing that exhibition has are empty seats and vacant screens until the studios step up and give us something to play,” one veteran movie theater executive, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, told CNBC. “We have no other alternative.”
The executive noted that re-released films, live sports and concert screenings “don’t pay the bills,” and even concession sales aren’t driving the same kind of revenue that they used to.
“We can’t survive without movies,” they said.
Movie theaters have struggled in the wake of the pandemic because of a lack of titles. Production was slowed due to Covid-related shutdowns and exacerbated when both the writers and actors guilds went on strike just a few years later. At the same time, streaming has become more prominent and studios are producing fewer titles for theatrical release.
Fewer films has led to lower domestic box office hauls. Prior to the pandemic, annual ticket sales routinely topped $11 billion in the U.S. and Canada, but in the years after, the combined efforts of the studios have yet to surpass $10 billion.
This year could break that trend, as the slate of films is significantly larger. However, if a merger does take place, the expectation is that the release schedule will once again shrink.
“We know what’s going to happen,” the veteran theater executive said. “We know that when Paramount eats Warner, it’s going to be exactly like Disney-Fox. There is no difference.”
Other theater operators echoed these sentiments when speaking anonymously to CNBC. They, too, questioned how the gaps in the slate would be filled if Paramount can’t deliver on its 30-film plan.
Amazon MGM has already stepped up to the plate in recent years and has promised at least 15 theatrical releases per year starting in 2027. The studio is on pace to have 13 releases in 2026. One of its recent films, “Project Hail Mary,” which arrived in theaters in March, has set box office records for the studio and delivered audiences to theaters.
However, Amazon’s 15-film annual addition to the overall slate was already replacing the films lost from the Disney-Fox merger. It wouldn’t be enough to also account for any losses in titles from a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros.
“It’s not great for exhibition,” the cinema veteran said. “It’s a lose-lose proposition.”
Pakistan’s struggling economy is likely to remain under sustained pressure, with double-digit inflation expected to persist if global oil prices continue to surge amid the ongoing Middle East crisis, according to a report by Dawn.Topline Securities Ltd, in its latest “Pakistan Strategy” report released Saturday, provided a grim assessment of the impact of rising energy costs and regional instability on the country’s economy and stock market. The brokerage described the situation as “prolonged and evolving,” warning that any improvement depends on an immediate and peaceful resolution to the conflict.The report, asx cited by ANI, said that under current conditions, inflation could average between 9 and 10 per cent over the next year, with fourth-quarter FY26 figures expected to exceed 11 per cent. These projections are based on oil prices at $100 per barrel, with every $10 increase adding around 50 basis points to inflation. If oil rises to $120 per barrel, annual inflation could reach 11 per cent, potentially forcing the State Bank of Pakistan into further aggressive interest rate hikes.The rising inflationary pressure is expected to slow economic growth. Topline Securities has cut its GDP forecast for FY27 to between 2.5 and 3.0 per cent from an earlier estimate of 4.0 per cent. Growth for FY26 is projected at 3.5 to 4.0 per cent, but the industrial sector remains vulnerable, with growth possibly dropping to just 1 per cent from nearly 4 per cent.According to Dawn, the current account deficit for FY27 could exceed $8 billion if the government fails to maintain strict import controls, worsening pressure on foreign exchange reserves. The fiscal deficit for FY26 is expected to range between 4.0 and 4.5 per cent of GDP, exceeding targets set by the International Monetary Fund.The Pakistan Stock Exchange has been among the worst-performing markets globally, reflecting the country’s heavy reliance on imported energy. Petroleum imports are projected to reach $15 billion in FY26, while Pakistan imports around 85 per cent of its energy needs. This dependence contributed to a 15 per cent decline in the market during the first quarter of the year.The economic outlook is further affected by a projected 3.5 per cent decline in remittances, with inflows from the Gulf Cooperation Council region expected to fall by 10 per cent. Exports are also forecast to decline by 4 per cent.On the currency front, the Pakistani rupee is expected to weaken to 298 against the US dollar by FY27. Persistent conflict could push depreciation beyond historical averages, increasing pressure on supply and demand.Dawn noted that while domestic exploration firms may eventually increase production to reduce reliance on liquefied natural gas imports, the near-term outlook remains marked by high interest rates, rising urea prices, and a growing dependence on emergency administrative measures to prevent a deeper economic crisis.
Trump’s strikes on Iran, and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have driven oil prices up, with a barrel of Brent crude, a major oil benchmark, hitting a four-year high of $126 on Thursday. It has since fallen back to $111 but it was trading at around $73 before the war broke out at the end of February.
MUMBAI: Kotak Mahindra Bank Saturday confirmed that it is looking at Deutsche Bank’s retail business, which is on the block, while stating that it has dropped out of IDBI Bank acquisition race because of the valuation and it would be ‘difficult to swallow’.Responding to queries at an earnings press conference Ashok Vaswani, MD & CEO said the bank would pursue deals only if they met three filters — strategic fit, financial viability and manageable execution without straining management bandwidth — and would apply the same criteria to evaluate Deutsche Bank’s assets.On IDBI, Vaswani said that Kotak had looked at the bank from every single position from a valuation perspective. “Obviously it was very highly valued. Of course, it has some kind of scale but it wasn’t really a must for us to do. Obviously, it would have been a difficult thing to swallow,” he said.Govt is reviewing how it should go about with a fresh bid to sell its stake in IDBI Bank, along with LIC’s.Kotak Mahindra Bank reported standalone net profit of Rs 4,026.6 crore for the quarter ending March 31, 2026, up 13.4% year-on-year from Rs 3,551.7 crore, supported by strong loan growth, lower provisions.
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