Exclusive | Skydance boss David Ellison tells Hollywood pals that Paramount merger will close before end of summer: sources

Skydance Media boss David Ellison has been striking an upbeat tone in his quest to purchase Shari Redstone’s Paramount, On The Money has learned.The budding movie mogul’s quiet confidence to media insiders in recent days may seem a bit odd for regular readers of On The Money.We’ve been chronicling how the $8 billion deal faces significant headwinds from the Trump administration’s regulatory apparatus, and the president’s own legal team.Not according to Ellison, however.

In fact, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison has been telling people in TV and movie circles out in Los Angeles that he believes the deal will go through before the end of summer – well before its drop-dead date in October when both sides need to walk away if the deal isn’t completed, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.It’s unclear exactly why Ellison – whose independent studio has produced hits like “Top Gun: Maverick” and the latest “Mission: Impossible” sequels – is so optimistic because much of the news surrounding the transaction has been anything but encouraging.Trump’s regulators are stalling their mandatory approval as they investigate if Paramount’s CBS News subsidiary violated Federal Communications Commission guidelines that its content must be free of political bias; conservatives have complained about CBS’s left-wing bias for years – a charge the network has vehemently denied.Trump has also filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS in Texas federal court, charging the network’s “60 Minutes” with violating an obscure state business law in a case involving its controversial interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.Trump claims the sit-down with his Democratic opponent was deceptively edited.

Paramount believes the deal’s regulatory approval is contingent on a settlement.Yet, as On The Money previously reported, Redstone’s management team and board are worried about being on the...