As Paramount Skydance moves to close its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CEO David Ellison has repeatedly pledged that his studio will bring 30 films a year to movie theaters with Warner under its ownership. It is a promise that AMC Theaters CEO Adam Aron is confident will be fulfilled.
“I actually believe that what David Ellison has been saying is both his intention and will turn out to be reality as time goes on. I’m a big believer,” he said.
While speaking with TheWrap at CinemaCon, the chief of the world’s largest theater chain hailed the great start to the 2026 box office with more than $2.2 billion grossed in North America since January 1 thanks to an increased supply of theatrical releases. Various studios have pledged more, including Warner Bros., whose film division co-chief Mike De Luca said at CinemaCon would aim for 18 films a year in 2027.
“That is the big takeaway we should have from CinemaCon,” Aron said. “For the first time since 2019, we’re going to see some material growth in the size of the box office to a somewhat respectable level. Revenues are finally growing again, which means that operators are going to be more profitable and reinvest that increased cash back into their fleet of theaters to upgrade them.”
But Cinema United CEO and President Michael O’Leary has warned, both in letters to state and federal regulators and on the CinemaCon stage, that studio consolidation is a threat to the progress theaters have made in recovery. O’Leary’s opposition to the deal echoes what other exhibitors have said in private talks with TheWrap about any Warner Bros. acquisition.
“Unfortunately, history shows us that consolidation results in fewer films being produced for movie theatres. We believe this transaction will be harmful to exhibition, consumers and the entire entertainment eco-system,” O’Leary said in his State of the Industry address this past Tuesday.
For his part, Aron has made very few comments about the Paramount-Warner merger to the press since the latter studio went up for sale this past September, either to the press or in earnings calls. But he has spoken positively about CEO David Ellison in the past when it comes to his commitment to theatrical.
Following the completion of Ellison and Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global, Aron noted in an AMC earnings call that Skydance was expected to bring an influx of cash to Paramount, which would allow them to greenlight more theatrical films. He also praised Skydance’s track record on theatrical success, most notably producing “Top Gun: Maverick,” a film that was a key milestone in box office recovery when it grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide in 2022.
Ellison’s pledge to produce 15 films from Paramount and 15 films from Warner Bros. annually has been met with skepticism from several other corners of the entertainment industry, including creatives, rival studios and Aron’s theatrical competitors. In preparation for the deal, Paramount Skydance has secured permanent financing from a group of banks to help handle a net debt following the merger that the company estimates will be as much as $80 billion, according to Reuters.
While such debt makes it unclear how much a merged Paramount-Warner studio would have to greenlight more projects, Aron expressed his belief that, due to both the CEO’s public statements and their private conversations, Ellison understands that the theatrical model is vital to his company’s success.
“I believe what David Ellison is saying. I am rooting for his success,” Aron said. “I’m not even going to say ‘if’ he succeeds. I’m going to say ‘as’ he succeeds that AMC will benefit as he proves that he and his team can release the 30 movies from Warner and Paramount that he says they will make.”
