“Late Night” writer Amber Ruffin returned Tuesday night with another round of “Amber Says What?,” in which she addressed the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger and mocked the joint company’s name, joking, “Skydance? That’s not a company. That’s a My Little Pony.”
After Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery was made official, chairman and CEO David Ellison announced that the joint studios’ new name would be “Skydance,” after his original production and financing company. The move has been met with criticism from analysts both within and outside of Hollywood, and Ruffin joined this week the chorus of voices that have made known their disapproval of Ellison’s decision.
“[Warner Bros.] merged with Paramount, and now they’re part of a company called Skydance, and I was like, ‘What… a dumb name for a giant company,’” Ruffin said. “Skydance? That’s not a company. That’s a My Little Pony.”
“Skydance is what cavemen called the sunrise. Skydance is what you name a baby if you give birth to that baby at Burning Man,” Ruffin continued. You can check out her full Tuesday night “Late Night” segment below.
Later in her “Late Night” appearance, Ruffin turned her attention to “Digger,” director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s divisive box office bomb starring Tom Cruise, which hit theaters in the U.S. on Oct. 2. The film, a satirical black comedy, divided critics and has wildly underperformed at the box office.
“I heard Tom Cruise was in a new movie, and I heard the title and was like, ‘What?’ But apparently I misheard, and it’s called ‘Digger.’ So that’s on me,” Ruffin joked. The “Late Night” writer then explained why she has found the film’s poor box office performance to be particularly “concerning.”
“I joined Scientology because I thought they could help movies become hits. But if a movie that rhymes with a slur can’t make it in this social climate, then I quit,” Ruffin said, before turning to camera to note, “Just kidding. It’s Scientology. You’re not allowed to quit.”
