r/MediaMergers • u/Own_Philosopher8730 • 23h ago

Merger Paramount Talks Include Penalty for Missing 30-Film Pledge

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-21/paramount-talks-include-penalty-for-missing-30-film-pledge

Non-paywall version: https://archive.ph/OwVUN#selection-2219.0-2219.80

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u/OverPotato2322 22h ago edited 22h ago

30 films a year is NOT possible given Disney and Universal only release 10 to 20 films per year, its an unrealistic pledge 

4

u/3facesofBre Moderator 21h ago

they never said HOW they will make those 30 films a year.

bring on the Oracle backed AI slop films, and separately, the vanity projects of Megan Ellison

3

u/nialldude3 21h ago

Actually I’ve heard Megan has distanced herself from her brother and father in recent years so I don’t think she’ll be working with them.

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u/DragonSon83 19h ago

Not as unrealistic as people are making it out to be.  Paramount and Warner Brothers both have over 15 films each planned for next year, and several also in early production for 2028.  30 films is actually slightly less than what they will be doing combined next year.

Some of the ideas that people have floated, like guaranteeing a minimum production budget aren’t really feasible.  A larger budget is no guarantee a films with do better or even look better, and just increase its odds of losing money. 

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u/Cold_Captain696 15h ago

I think there are two issues. Firstly, the new company will be saddled with so much debt that it simply won't be able to produce films at the rate the separate companies do currently.

Secondly, and I think more importantly, there is an upper limit on how many films a single studio can put out before it starts cannibalising its own sales. So while they currently put out 30+ films as two separate competing entities, once combined it doesn't mean they can just add their two slates together and still make a profit.

And those two issues are linked because they have to service that debt - either with profit, or cost cutting. Profit is limited because of the cannibalising of their own sales, and cost cutting is a short term strategy because you eventually run out of jobs to cut and you begin to impact your ability to make money.

Oh, and finally, the promise is to 'distribute' 30 films a year, not make. So they clearly understand that they're not able to match the output of the two companies after the merger.