Shari Redstone is lining up her next post-Paramount move.
The former Paramount Global chair and president of the Redstone Family Foundation has been named chair of the board of Sipur, the Israeli entertainment studio behind Emmy-winning documentary “We Will Dance Again” and Netflix series “Bad Boy,” the company announced Tuesday.
The studio, whose name translates to “story” in English, tapped Redstone to work alongside Sipur co-founders and CEO Emilio Schenker and business leader Gideon Tadmor to expand its global reach and further develop its slate of high-quality content. Redstone has invested in Sipur alongside Tadmor and Israeli institutional investors Bank HaPoalim and Clal Insurance.
“I am enormously excited to work with Emilio, Gideon and the Sipur team to help build on their success in creating a truly international film and TV studio, based in Israel, and developing and distributing content around the world,” Redstone said in a statement. “Not only does Sipur produce high-quality commercial content, the team also brings to life stories that drive conversation, impact and change. In doing this, Emilio and the team have developed a great business model that is unique and highly needed in the industry.”
“I’m extremely delighted and honored to welcome Shari as our new chair of the board,” Tadmor said. “Shari’s leading position in the entertainment and media industry and her vast experience and passion will enable Sipur to shape its exciting new chapter and become a unique significant global studio.”
Schenker added: “I am deeply appreciative and profoundly inspired by Shari Redstone’s decision to join Sipur as chair after leading one of the world’s great studios with such strength, clarity and purpose. The story of having one of the most influential and visionary figures in our industry and Sipur coming together feels like one of those rare and powerful moments when the plot takes an unexpected twist – one that changes everything for the better.”
Founded in 2019, Sipur has grown rapidly, retaining global rights to its productions through a rights-retention business model that allows the studio to develop, produce, finance and license content more cost-effectively than traditional Hollywood systems. Its 2025 slate includes “Bad Boy,” which reached Netflix’s top 10 in 45 countries, and a series of high-profile festival premieres, including Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire,” starring Al Pacino and Bill Skarsgard, at Venice and Toronto.
Sipur continues to focus on scripted, unscripted and documentary projects with global appeal, including a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Television and collaborations with leading creators worldwide.
“For a young and ambitious studio like ours, founded only a few years ago, her belief in us is nothing less than a transformative chapter in the extraordinary narrative of Sipur,” Schenker said of Redstone’s involvement. “It is exactly the tailwind we need to reach our next level of success as we create stories together that inspire and unite audiences around the world.”
Tuesday’s announcement came just a week after a Film Workers for Palestine pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions gained widespread support in Hollywood with 4,500 signatures and counting, among them A-listers like Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix. Paramount later condemned the boycott, saying, “We need more engagement, not less.”
