Paramount's Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg are poised to take control of the combined studio's film operations as the $110 billion merger nears its close.
Warner Bros. Pictures co-chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are expected to leave the studio when Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes on October 6, 2026, according to multiple reports citing people familiar with the matter. Paramount's motion-picture co-chairs, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, are expected to assume authority over both companies' film divisions, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Deadline reported October 2. Warner Bros. had not formally announced the departures as of that date.
Paramount's Streaming Chief Exits Days Before Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Closes
How the Rumors Reached a Breaking Point
According to The Hollywood Reporter, De Luca had been hearing for more than a month that he and Abdy were "on the chopping block." The outlet reported that the speculation intensified after Greenstein allegedly told other executives during a cross-town meeting that he wanted to remove the Warner Bros. pair — an account attributed to sources familiar with the meeting rather than an on-the-record statement from Greenstein himself.
The tension reportedly culminated in a direct phone call between the two executives. "Are you seriously saying this?" De Luca asked Greenstein, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Hollywood Reporter. Greenstein denied the accusations, attributing the rumors to a "bad game of telephone." In hindsight, the publication characterized that exchange as prescient, noting that the executives' fates remained genuinely uncertain until Paramount Skydance's leadership plan for the merged film unit crystallized.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Arrive October 6–7 as Early Discounts Go Live
A Merger Years in the Making Reaches Its Final Stretch
The leadership shake-up is directly tied to Paramount Skydance's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a transaction reported variously at approximately $110 billion, $110.8 billion and $111 billion depending on how outlets calculated the deal's value.[2][4][7] The merger is expected to close October 6, following a regulatory boost when Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approved Paramount's settlement with attorneys general from 12 states, clearing a key obstacle to completion.
That settlement reportedly carries operational consequences beyond the executive suite. Coverage indicates Skydance agreed to a mandated theatrical output of 30 movies per year as part of the antitrust settlement, and Variety reported the two studios would each release roughly 30 films annually under provisions tied to the transaction. Whether that requirement applies identically to each studio, or how the combined company will count releases, remains unclear and is expected to fall to the new management team to determine.
Conflicting Signals Before the Final Word
The reported outcome stands in sharp contrast to earlier assurances the executives say they received. A studio insider told The Hollywood Reporter that De Luca and Abdy had met with David Ellison months earlier and "felt secure" about their standing, having been led to believe they would remain in place after the merger closed. Those assurances were never documented in an official statement, and the final reported staffing plan diverges significantly from what the executives reportedly expected.
Deadline reported that De Luca and Abdy learned of their likely exclusion largely through overnight media coverage, and that Ellison had not personally called either executive to discuss their future or offer alternative roles. The Hollywood Reporter similarly said the pair learned that Greenstein and Goldberg would take over shortly before Puck published its initial report late Thursday, October 1 — meaning the executives' sense of the situation was shaped as much by outside reporting as by internal communication.
What Remains Unconfirmed as the Clock Ticks Toward Closing
Puck was first to report that De Luca and Abdy would not join the merged company, with Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter following with additional sourcing. Despite the convergence of reporting, the companies had not formalized the departures publicly by October 2, and key details — final employment dates, severance terms, or whether either executive might stay on temporarily for a transition period — remained unresolved. Multiple sources told Variety it was unclear whether De Luca and Abdy would remain in any interim capacity even after losing their long-term roles.
Notably, the shake-up does not appear uniform across Warner Bros.' operations. The Hollywood Reporter's related coverage indicated DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran are staying in place under Ellison's takeover, suggesting a selective integration strategy rather than a wholesale replacement of Warner leadership.[9] Separately, The Hollywood Reporter noted that De Luca and Abdy had been in discussions about a possible next move to Netflix, though no agreement had been confirmed.
Consolidation and Its Consequences for Warner's Film Slate
De Luca and Abdy have run Warner Bros.' film business since 2022, appointed amid the studio's broader restructuring under CEO David Zaslav. Their tenure included oversight of the theatrical slate, filmmaker relationships and coordination across Warner properties — responsibilities Greenstein and Goldberg are now expected to inherit alongside their existing authority over Paramount's motion-picture operations.[1][3]
Placing both legacy studios under a single executive structure is designed to simplify management of the combined theatrical business, but could reshape greenlighting decisions, release scheduling and the balance between established Warner franchises and Paramount's own slate. No detailed post-closing film strategy had been released as of October 2, leaving industry observers to treat the organizational outcome as a near-certainty in direction but still incomplete in its specifics until Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery issue formal announcements.[2][3]
