The De Luca Abdy exit from Warner Bros. is coming, as Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy will not be part of David Ellison’s management team after Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes, multiple sources told Variety.
Puck first reported the news. The $110 billion merger is expected to close Oct. 6, Variety reported.
Who takes over after the De Luca Abdy exit
Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, who lead Paramount’s film operations, are set to oversee the movie studios of both Warner Bros. and Paramount once the deal closes, according to Variety. Each studio is to release 30 movies a year under the terms of the merger, the outlet reported.
Paramount declined to comment on the De Luca Abdy exit, and representatives for De Luca and Abdy did not respond, TheWrap reported. It is not clear whether the pair will stay for a transition. TheWrap said another top executive may be hired to run Warner Bros., but no name has been announced.
Paramount’s leadership after the merger
Ellison has named Ynon Kreiz, the former Mattel CEO, as co-CEO, Variety reported. Cindy Holland has left her role as head of streaming at Paramount, and no successor for streaming has been announced. For more, see our coverage of Ynon Kreiz’s new role, his compensation and the HBO Max and Paramount+ bundle question.
Hits and awards before the De Luca Abdy exit
De Luca and Abdy succeeded Toby Emmerich in July 2022, TheWrap reported. Their contracts were renewed a year ago after hits including “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons,” Variety reported. Warner Bros. won 11 Academy Awards from 30 nominations that year, and “One Battle After Another” took best picture.
At New Line, Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in Zach Cregger’s sci-fi thriller “The Flood,” which has an Aug. 11, 2028, release date, Deadline reported. It is unclear how leadership changes will affect that film or others in the pipeline.
What’s next
The merger is expected to close Oct. 6, when Ellison’s new structure is expected to take fuller shape. The De Luca Abdy exit leaves open who will lead Warner Bros.’ film slate, which remains unconfirmed.
