Exclusive | Fears of a bloodbath are growing over Paramount-Warner merger including speculation around top HBO exec
LOS ANGELES — Hollywood is buzzing this week – less about Sunday’s Academy Awards than fears of a looming bloodbath after Paramount Skydance inks its mega merger with Warner Bros.Discovery.While casualties could reportedly number in the thousands, the chatter in Tinseltown is increasingly focused on who could lose their jobs in the C-suites – with some betting that HBO boss Casey Bloys may be at risk. In recent days, Paramount CEO David Ellison has made the rounds at WBD, telling staffers that he intends to keep WBD’s crown jewel HBO independent.
He has even met with Bloys one-on-one to emphasize his commitment.But agents, producers and other media watchers aren’t buying it and are speculating that Bloys, a hitmaker who brought “The Pitt,” “White Lotus” and “Heated Rivalry” to HBO, could get edged out by Paramount’s direct-to-consumer chief Cindy Holland.They pointed to Ellison’s own statement that streaming platforms Paramount+ and HBO Max will be folded into one service – arguing that it looks like a blueprint for how things will unfold at the company more broadly. A rep for Paramount declined to comment.“There has to be consolidation,” said a top Hollywood agent, who predicted that despite Ellison’s reassurances, there will be a streamlining from the top down.The source pointed to the hefty $79 billion debt load that Paramount will take on when the WBD deal closes, as well as all the duplicative jobs across both companies, which when combined will include two Hollywood studios, two streaming services, two news networks and a slew of cable channels.“Why do they need two programming chiefs?” the insider said, adding that Bloys’ high compensation will make it an easy choice for Ellison.The source estimated that the HBO boss’ compensation is $15 million. A rep for HBO did not return requests for comment.Sources noted that Bloys is more liberal and outspoken in the Hollywood community compared to Holland, who operates...