A weekly film and box office newsletter. Howdy, folks! So what does Warner Bros. Pictures look like under Paramount ownership? That's the question on many people's minds after Paramount swooped in and won the WBD battle last week, and while some regulatory hurdles still have to be cleared, the powers that be expect this thing to be a done deal by the fall. David Ellison gave a glimpse into his plans in an investor call on Monday, committing to releasing 30 films a year in theaters with a 45-day theatrical window through Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures combined, with a roughly 15/15 split between the two. "As we have said consistently, we are committed to delivering a broad pipeline of high-quality storytelling," Ellison told analysts. That would be a substantial increase in quantity from both studios — last year, Paramount released only eight films and Warner Bros. released 11. In fact, it would be a substantial increase for any studio. Disney released 15 films in total in 2025, but that was through three different studios (Disney, 20th Century and Searchlight). Skepticism over Ellison's promise stems from the fact that the Disney-Fox merger is still fresh in everyone's minds. Before Disney bought Fox, the studio routinely released 12-15 movies a year in theaters. Since the acquisition, it has released no more than five annually. Time and time again, theater owners have said what they need is product. But what kinds of movies does Paramount intends to make at Warner Bros.? Warner Bros. is on an undeniable hot streak thanks to the mix of smarts and moxie from Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, New Line's Richard Brener and DC Studios' James Gunn and Peter Safran. But given Ellison's taste at Paramount on the film side - including a greenlights for Brett Ratner's "Rush Hour 4," a Taylor Sheridan-written "Call of Duty" and a revamp of "G.I. Joe" — there are fears that the boldness of WB's slate could be in jeopardy. Namely, will Warner Bros. still get to make daring choices? Would De Luca and Abdy be afforded the same trust that created "One Battle After Another" or Ryan Coogler's ownership of "Sinners" in 25 years? These are the kinds of calculated risks that a good studio head makes, which paid off hugely in WB's favor in 2025. Time will tell. Adam Chitwood 
Box Office: ‘Scream 7’ Among Paramount’s Top Recent Box Office Openings With $64.1 Million“Scream 7” isn’t just earning the best opening weekend ever for the Spyglass horror franchise. It is also standing among the best... 
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