The officialization of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s merger has created Skydance, the latest entertainment megacorporation in the American media industry. This will have major effects across the industry, and for independent media in the United States, things might only get trickier.
The massive media catalogue Skydance now owns will, similar to Disney, lead to the prioritization of legacy media and franchises over original material. With the large amount of IP Skydance now owns, they will likely gravitate towards projects that are safe and likely to generate a massive amount of revenue globally.
That criteria will have an effect on the ability of mid-budget and Independent projects to get off the ground because of how risky they often are and their small revenue gains compared to big blockbuster films. Additionally, with Skydance’s commitment to a 30-movie theatrical slate, there will be even less room for Independant films to perform well. Theaters will have to prioritize these theatrical blockbusters to get more customers in, and even institutions that prioritize indie films may have to adapt.
However, the biggest hindrance to indies from Skydance is the leadership of its owners. Robert and David Ellison, who have been campaigning for this merger’s success, are known affiliates and friends of the Trump administration, which has a vested interest in seeing this merger’s success. It’s a massive step in the Republican movement’s effort to push more conservative values and influence in modern American media.
Any future project that has dealings with Skydance will likely have to abide by whatever guidelines and censorship they put forth in order to be distributed or produced through that company.The officialization of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s merger has created Skydance, the latest entertainment megacorporation in the American media industry. This will have major effects across the industry, and for independent media in the United States, things might only get trickier.
The massive media catalogue Skydance now owns will, similar to Disney, lead to the prioritization of legacy media and franchises over original material. With the large amount of IP Skydance now owns, they will likely gravitate towards projects that are safe and likely to generate a massive amount of revenue globally.
That criteria will have an effect on the ability of mid-budget and Independent projects to get off the ground because of how risky they often are and their small revenue gains compared to big blockbuster films. Additionally, with Skydance’s commitment to a 30-movie theatrical slate, there will be even less room for Independant films to perform well. Theaters will have to prioritize these theatrical blockbusters to get more customers in, and even institutions that prioritize indie films may have to adapt.
However, the biggest hindrance to indies from Skydance is the leadership of its owners. Robert and David Ellison, who have been campaigning for this merger’s success, are known affiliates and friends of the Trump administration, which has a vested interest in seeing this merger’s success. It’s a massive step in the Republican movement’s effort to push more conservative values and influence in modern American media.
Any future project that has dealings with Skydance will likely have to abide by whatever guidelines and censorship they put forth in order to be distributed or produced through that company.
