Paramount Warner Bros. Merger Ends De Luca-Abdy Era

Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are expected to leave the studio as Paramount Skydance closes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to multiple reports. Paramount film chiefs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg are poised to take control of the combined movie operation under David Ellison. De Luca and Abdy have led Warner Bros. since 2022, after joining the studio from MGM. They renewed their Warner Bros. contracts through 2030 less than a year ago, but reports now indicate they will not be part of Ellison’s new leadership team after the deal closes on Oct. 6. Deadline reported that De Luca and Abdy learned of the decision through late night news reports, not a direct call from Ellison. The outlet said the executives’ current deals gave them authority over Warner Bros. marketing and distribution, with reporting lines directly to the CEO. That structure was not likely to continue under Greenstein and Goldberg. There are discussions about offering De Luca and Abdy producing deals at the newly combined company, which will operate under the Skydance name. But sources told Deadline that the pair are not expected to report to Greenstein and...