Warner Bros.' Michael De Luca & Pam Abdy Mum On Paramount On CinemaCon Stage

Key Points:

• Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Group, highlighted the studio’s growth from six releases in 2022 to 14 planned for this year, with hopes to reach 18 by 2027, emphasizing a commitment to original content.
• The Warner Bros. leadership did not address the pending sale of the studio to Paramount during their CinemaCon presentation, despite ongoing industry concerns about the merger.
• Paramount CEO David Ellison anticipates the merger closing in the third quarter and has promised to maintain a robust slate of 30 films annually, pushing back against fears of reduced output and job cuts.
• The merger has sparked significant backlash from the creative community and CinemaCon attendees, with over 1,000 creatives signing an open letter opposing the deal due to concerns over consolidation of power and fewer productions.
• Regulatory and shareholder approvals are still pending for the Warner Bros.-Paramount deal, and Ellison did not appear at CinemaCon, where the atmosphere reflected industry unease about the future.