David Ellison finally has his prize.

On Thursday, the Skydance Media founder closed the $8 billion merger with Paramount Global that he orchestrated, enduring political turbulence and skepticism about the viability of the company’s TV and movie empire for over a year. In order for the deal to pay off, Ellison, who will serve as chairman and CEO of the newly rechristened Paramount Skydance , must maintain strong partnerships with the creative community. Before the sale, Paramount has lacked the financial resources of competitors like Disney and Netflix, but it has been the home of top talent. Keeping them happy and busy cooking up ideas for new film, TV and streaming franchises will be critically important if Paramount Skydance wants to outmaneuver other studios.

On the film front,

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