I wrote about how the delayed Paramount deal has opened a WBD exec poaching season, interviewed Furious showrunner Liz Meriwether and broke down the industry debate over Netflix’s binge model.
Since a pair of antitrust lawsuits formally delayed Paramount’s $111 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison’s streaming platform, Paramount+, has announced two new scripted originals: a Clueless sequel and Ascent, a thriller starring EGOT winner Viola Davis.
Announcing two high-profile new series within days of the July 24 delay might appear reactionary. But deals for both shows were in the works long before 12 state attorneys general (and the WGA) threw a wrench in Ellison’s plans to merge Paramount+ with HBO Max to form a super-streamer positioned to rival Netflix.
More importantly, the announcements offer an early look at the selective, talent-driven strategy that streaming chief Cindy Holland and head of originals Jane Wiseman were already putting in place — regardless of whether HBO Max ever joins the company. Meanwhile, Paramount TV Studios president Matt Thunell is taking a similar curated approach with his show and talent deals.
The Paramount-WBD deal is in a holding pattern until the lawsuits are resolved or June 2027, whichever comes first. On Tuesday, the judge overseeing the AGs’ suit rejected Paramount’s request for a November trial date and instead set the proceedings for March — setting Ellison up to pay steep ticking fees ($650 million per quarter, starting Oct. 1) to WBD shareholders. In his earnings remarks Tuesday, Ellison said he is “open” to finding a solution out of court and reiterated that Paramount “will win” should the suit progress to trial.
This extended pause — and the increasingly real possibility of the merger deal falling through — has already opened the door to poaching season on executives and top talent at WBD.
“They’re either buying WBD or merging with Universal; there’s gotta be something,” one veteran agent tells me of Paramount’s need for scale. “They’re not going to win it with more Star Trek.”
(Compounding matters, I’m told Alex Kurtzman is considering his options as his deal expires — more on that below.)
That kind of town skepticism represents the central test of Holland and Thunell’s approach: Can taste, selectivity and a carefully assembled roster overcome Paramount’s continuing need for greater scale?
For today’s Series Business, I spoke with executives, agents, writers and industry veterans about how Holland and her team are navigating the holding pattern.
Here’s what Holland’s Paramount strategy looks like — deal or no deal:
- Scoop! The cult Netflix creator duo (besides the Duffers) reuniting with Holland on a series in development
- The nine new U.S. scripted originals defining Holland’s early Par+ slate — and the studios making them
- Why Holland and Thunell are resisting a volume race, even with the WBD deal frozen
- How Holland’s “high-end taste” and leadership style are shaping the brand
- The Taylor Sheridan problem: filling the gaps in his male-driven slate before his exit to NBCUniversal
- The creators Paramount is locking down or inked deals with under Ellison — and why Kurtzman is a flight risk
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