The state of flux in the executive suites at Hollywood’s studios was on full display this week, from the stage at CinemaCon.
It was openly discussed in Paramount’s presentation to exhibitors, with Co-CEO Brian Robbins presenting the studio’s upcoming film slate. Robbins serves as one of three executives in Paramount’s “Office of the CEO” position, with future leadership decisions put on hold while Skydance pursues a drawn-out process to acquire the famous studio.
Paramount’s President of Domestic Distribution Chris Aronson quipped that playing the presentation straight was “Impossible!” before a motorcycle barreled onstage to introduce a new trailer for the upcoming MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING sequel. With management changes likely after the acquisition, this may have been the last time that Robbins and Aronson stood on the CinemaCon stage to present Paramount’s upcoming slate of films.
At Warner Bros., studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abby stepped on stage on day two at the conference to present their studio’s upcoming movies. Meanwhile, Bloomberg broke news last week that WB is active in meeting with potential candidates to replace them. This is both poignant and ironic, given this weekend’s blockbuster opening of the live-action movie adaptation A MINECRAFT MOVIE based on the video game.
However, De Luca and Abby may be on shaky ground after greenlighting several money-losing, nine-figure auteur-driven movies that include MICKEY 17, JOKER: FOLIE A DUEX, and ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. CEO David Zaslav is said to be looking for a new studio head to emphasize well-established franchise content. Sony Co-President Josh Greenstein has been rumored to be a top candidate to take over both CEO positions.
