Future of Paramount+ among merger talks

[UssGlenn]

Sorry, kids ... no streaming Star Trek: Year One (Why would they release a streaming series that features the same characters that they want to use in an upcoming feature film?)

Both those projects are what had been publicly known about for months/years. They didn't go into any specifics, all they said was Trek was important "across the company", so we don't know that the new bosses will continue down the existing path or not.

 

[Daedalus]

I suppose they needed to get this merger finalised before ST4 could really get anywhere. And I actually forgot that Toby Haynes involved in a Star Trek project.

Eh, we'll see. Those two movies are common knowledge, anyway. Worth waiting for more official word.

 

[DaddlerTheDalek]

Paramount’s Movie Priorities Under New Skydance Owners Include ‘Top Gun 3’, ‘Star Trek’ & More

A list of projects the new Paramount leadership group will be looking at following the merger

deadline.com

I want to believe.

 

[UssGlenn]

Ellison is on the record about wanting to make TV Trek, I'm optimistic. Both he and Goldberg are Trek fans.

From 2015:

It's amazing, the television show explored these incredibly deep phenomenal themes that we would absolutely love to do and be a part of, and we wish it was entirely up to us.

We would love it, both as fans and as people who would want to be involved in the making of them. We would love it. Everything you just said is right. It goes with what we were talking about before with television is you can just take more time to tell very specific stories and it would be fantastic. It's not something we control, sadly.

Well, now it's up to them.

 

[Quinton]

Hah, nice. I came in here to post that Deadline article, but we've got it covered.

Another high priority for the Skydance owned Paramount, is Star Trek which Ellison has been involved with since the 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness.

“Star Trek is a priority across the company,” said Goldberg.

I like the sound of that.

 

[oktay]

David Ellison Shows Off His New Throne at Paramount, With ‘Top Gun 3,’ ‘Star Trek’ and ‘World War Z’ Called Priorities

Ellison and his top executives hosted a meet-and-greet with journalists on the storied Melrose Lot Wednesday to further discuss their plans for Paramount Pictures and CBS.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Co-film chief Josh Goldstein said these franchises would be a priority, noting the company hopes to release 15 films a year, and then up that to 20. He name checked Star Trek and Transformers, with a surprise being World War Z, the 2013 Brad Pitt zombie feature. He also indicated an interest in both horror (Paramount is home to A Quiet Place and Smile) as well as R-rated comedies.

Star Trek, which has not been in theaters since 2016, has largely been overseen by Alex Kurtzman with a lengthy list of Paramount+ series. Execs said that Trek would be looked at holistically rather than siloed off between different parts of the company, such as film and TV.

 

[Quinton]

David Ellison Shows Off His New Throne at Paramount, With ‘Top Gun 3,’ ‘Star Trek’ and ‘World War Z’ Called Priorities

Ellison and his top executives hosted a meet-and-greet with journalists on the storied Melrose Lot Wednesday to further discuss their plans for Paramount Pictures and CBS.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Very cool, yeah. There were some slides shown via Skydance last year that talked up synergy, and one cited Star Trek as something that would benefit from that approach.

 

[oktay]

Paramount Skydance Shares Pop, With Market Watchers Comparing It to a ‘Meme Stock’

After shares of the new Paramount Skydance shot up double digits, Wall Street watchers compared it to a meme stock.

variety.com

 

[Danja]

I suppose they needed to get this merger finalised before ST4 could really get anywhere.

That makes sense (TPTB needed to know who was going to be in charge once the dust settled.)

 

[bdub76]

Streaming Movies ‘Not a Priority’ at Paramount-Skydance; David Ellison Says ‘Debate Is Over’ About Theatrical Releases Driving Value for Film

The new leadership team at Skydance's Paramount clarified their position on streaming and theatrically released films.

variety.com

What seems to be working in the theatre these days is either classic movies or new horror movies. So I'd expect them to jump onto the horror bandwagon.

 

[Danja]

Cindy Holland On Programming Strategy For Paramount+: “We Want To Entertain All Audiences Around The World”

During a press conference of Paramount's new leadership, Holland made her first public comments about the original strategy for Paramount+.

deadline.com

Almost five years after Cindy Holland exited her post as head of originals at Netflix, she is in charge of another major streamer in her role as Chair of Direct-to-Consumer for Paramount, overseeing the newly acquired company’s streaming platforms Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

“We want to entertain all audiences around the world,” she said. “On Paramount+ today,, we have a really great foundation, which is the Taylor Sheridan universe. We also have incredible CBS next-day, live sports, a lot from the cable networks, franchises like Star Trek, so many series. We’re seeking to expand that and make sure that we’re offering programming for everybody not just occasionally, not just for the one thing they came to watch but ultimately and hopefully a year round and a daily habit for all audiences.”

How very corporate of her.

Paramount CEO David Ellison stressed that the budget for streaming originals will be increased but would not specify by how much.

“We’re starting at a great place on Paramount+, but one of the most important metric when it comes to streaming is engagement,” he said. “And to get the required engagement, we simply need to have more content. That means more stories, more series, more films, more sports to make sure that we can deliver those experiences to audience, to have them spend more time on our hub.”

 

[bdub76]

Cindy Holland On Programming Strategy For Paramount+: “We Want To Entertain All Audiences Around The World”

During a press conference of Paramount's new leadership, Holland made her first public comments about the original strategy for Paramount+.

deadline.com

How very corporate of her.

Translation. We're going the HBO MAX route and adding one episode at a time.

 

[Firebird]

Meh, I'll believe nothing until my ass is in the theater watching the opening credits. Until then, it's all the same empty corporate bluster and blunders we've seen since Beyond came out nine years ago.

 

[Lord Garth]

Everything going on right now reminds me of 2005-2006. Wake me up when something gets greenlit.

 

[Danja]

Wake me up when something gets greenlit.

#SaffiNation is right here with you!

#StarTrekLegacy

 

[Dukhat]

Meh, I'll believe nothing until my ass is in the theater watching the opening credits. Until then, it's all the same empty corporate bluster and blunders we've seen since Beyond came out nine years ago.

This. I don’t believe anything I hear from these people anymore. Talk is cheap. Actually producing a movie isn’t.

 

[oktay]

Meh, I'll believe nothing until my ass is in the theater watching the opening credits. Until then, it's all the same empty corporate bluster and blunders we've seen since Beyond came out nine years ago.

I think Star Trek will start playing in theaters again after the new administration.

This. I don’t believe anything I hear from these people anymore. Talk is cheap. Actually producing a movie isn’t.

As for the budget, since David Ellison will be spending his money on his father, there won't be any budget issues for the films. However, it's best to be skeptical of any Star Trek film announcements until the cast is announced.

 

[oktay]

Paramount’s New President Jeff Shell On Board With Theatrical & Windows; DTC Chair Cindy Holland Not Prioritizing Streaming Pics

Paramount President Jeff Shell asserted his support of theatrical, while DTC Chair Cindy Holland isn't interested in making streaming movies.

deadline.com

 

[Danja]

Paramount+ Opening Up To Outside Studios, May Experiment With Release Patterns, Won’t Try To Replicate CBS-Style Programming

Paramount+ is opening up to outside studios, may experiment with release patterns & won't try to replicate CBS-style programming, Cindy Holland says.

deadline.com

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Just like the WWE exists, the UFC will exist 17 years later. I think it's an organization that has existed since the 90s?

Given that as of 2023, they're essentially two different sub-brands within the same company, whether both will continue to exist is perhaps debatable, but they seem to make a fair bit of money, so I suspect they'll continue in some form (possibly under the Zuffa branding).