The pink convertible may finally be leaving the garage Hollywood is about to put two mountain-sized studios under one roof, and David Ellison has already picked the name on the mailbox. Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close on October 6, creating an entertainment giant spanning Warner Bros., Paramount, HBO, CBS, CNN, Paramount+ and HBO Max.

The parent company will simply be called Skydance, while the historic studio brands retain their individual identities. Ellison will oversee strategy and creative direction alongside incoming co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. Amid all that corporate furniture-moving.

One very pink piece of unfinished business is suddenly moving again, Barbie 2.

Variety reported that Paramount Pictures leaders Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein have started contacting key Warner Bros. talent ahead of the takeover, including Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap partners, as they work to maintain relationships through the transition.

A source specifically told Variety that efforts were already underway to secure a sequel to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, declaring.

“There’s no way ‘Barbie 2’ doesn’t happen.” That marks a significant change from August, when negotiations had stalled over compensation.  Warner Bros. had made multiple offers to Gerwig, Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Noah Baumbach, while Gerwig and Baumbach already had an idea for another film but were unwilling to reveal it before agreements were signed.

Ellison’s choice of Kreiz as co-CEO adds another connection to the franchise. Kreiz led Mattel during the first film’s development and helped push the toy company further into entertainment. Under Skydance, Goldberg and Greenstein are also expected to gain broader oversight as Warner Bros. film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy depart.

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Yet Skydance is inheriting another Warner Bros. universe where changing leadership could carry even greater consequences.

For DC Studios, the immediate message from Ellison appears to be continuity. James Gunn and Peter Safran met with the incoming Skydance chief before the merger closes, and Ellison told them to continue doing what they were doing  The pair are therefore expected to remain in charge as Skydance takes control.

That matters because Gunn and Safran have spent nearly four years constructing a connected DC slate after taking charge in 2022. Their current plans include Clayface, arriving October 23, and Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for July 9, 2027. Ellison has already shown interest in the latter, reportedly visiting its Atlanta set during production.

There is still an important distinction between surviving the merger and receiving an open-ended mandate. Gunn and Safran’s existing agreements run through 2027, meaning Skydance will eventually have another decision to make about DC leadership. For now, however, Ellison is entering without dismantling the creative structure already in place.

David Ellison Ushers In a New Era With Skydance as Warner Bros. and Paramount’s Combined Company

What do you think about Barbie 2 returning to active discussions while Gunn and Safran remain at DC Studios? Let us know in the comments.