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David Ellison’s Skydance Prods. Launches TV Division Headed By Marcy Ross

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday April 3, 2013 @ 11:00am PDTTags: Big Deals TV, David Ellison, Marcy Ross, Skydance, Skydance TV
Nellie Andreeva

David Ellison‘s film production and financing company Skydance is entering the TV business with the May 1 launch of a television division, Skydance TV.  It will be headed by former senior Fox executive Marcy Ross, who will serve as president of Skydance TV. The expansion into TV is part of Skydance’s rapid growth over the past three years. The company was founded by Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, in 2010 when he raised $350 million to co-finance movies with Paramount Pictures that has resulted in such films as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and the upcoming World War Z and Star Trek Into Darkness. Ross spent the last decade at Fox as SVP and EVP of Current Programming. She has led the network team that oversees all new and returning scripted series, including newcomer The Following, veterans Bones, Family Guy and The Simpsons as well as American Dad, Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope and Touch. “During her tenure at Fox, Marcy has developed and produced some of the best shows on television that have entertained audiences around the world,” Skydance president and CEO Ellison said. “We are thrilled to welcome her into the Skydance family to help pioneer our entrance into this wonderful medium of storytelling.” READ MORE »

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Laeta Kalogridis And Patrick Lussier Set To Script New ‘Terminator’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday January 17, 2013 @ 9:53am PSTTags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Big Deals Film, David Ellison, Laeta Kalogridis, Megan Ellison, Patrick Lussier, The Terminator
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures have set Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier to script the next installment of The Terminator franchise.

Her credits include Avatar, Shutter Island and Alexander, produced White House Down. Lussier scripted Wes Craven’s Dracula … Read More »

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Skydance Spends Big For Global Disaster Film By Dean Devlin And Paul Guyot

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday January 9, 2013 @ 11:13am PSTTags: Big Deals Film, David Ellison, Dean Devlin, Skydance Productions
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: In a seven-figure deal, David Ellison’s Skydance Productions has pre-emptively purchased an untitled global disaster film spec script written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot. Devlin will make his feature directing debut. Skydance’s Ellison and Dana Goldberg will produce with Devlin and his Electric Entertainment team of Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan.

Devlin returns to the global destruction sandbox he played in when he and then-partner Roland Emmerich sold their Independence Day spec for millions, a guaranteed Fox green light and release date, and a global gross north of $800 million. They continued the destruction with Godzilla. While Emmerich continued crushing the planet with The Day After and 2012 (he and Devlin are working on two Independence Day sequels), Devlin formed Electric Entertainment and has put together movies (one was Flyboys, which featured avid aviator Ellison onscreen), and the Noah Wyle telepic series The Librarian. Devlin is currently exec producer of the TNT series Leverage. Guyot, Devlin’s co-writer on the spec, is supervising producer of that series. Read More »

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Megan Ellison Enlists Brother David For ‘Terminator’ Reboot

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday December 3, 2012 @ 2:11pm PSTTags: Annapurna Pictures, Big Deals Film, David Ellison, Megan Ellison, Skydance Productions, The Terminator
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Nearly 18 months after Megan Ellison pledged over $20 million for the rights to finish The Terminator‘s humanity vs the Skynet cyborgs storyline with a new series of films, she has finally closed the complicated rights deal with Pacificorp. Other than the fact no progress has been made all this time on a script, the surprise here is Ellison has enlisted her brother, David Ellison, to be her financial and creative partner. There is still no studio attached, but future Terminator films will be done as a co-production between her Annapurna Pictures and his Skydance Productions. The Ellisons will produce, while Dana Goldberg, Paul Schwake and Ted Schipper will be exec producers.

Even though Pacificorp spent $29.5 million several years ago to win the rights after Halcyon turned them over to bankruptcy court, insiders tell me that the big numbers in place 18 months ago have been adjusted downward. That is because of the uncomfortable specter of a ticking clock that has continued to wind down as no forward progress was being made. New copyright laws allow for North American rights to The Terminator to revert back to creator James Cameron in 2019 (that happens after 35 years, and The Terminator was 1984). While that law hasn’t been tested in the courts, no major film company would want to move forward on a project with a potentially catastrophic rights crisis looming. So the original pricey deal — made with the expectations there would be three films — was scaled down because the reality is they might only get to make two installments. Four films have been made so far, the first two directed by Cameron, another by Jonathan Mostow and the last, 2009′s Terminator Salvation, helmed by McG. Read More »

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‘Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil’ Helmer Eli Craig Takes On ‘Your Bridesmaid’s A Bitch’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday May 11, 2012 @ 3:55pm PDTTags: David Ellison
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Eli Craig has been set to rewrite and direct Your Bridesmaid’s A Bitch, a comedy that Circle of Confusion is producing with David Ellison’s Skydance. Skydance will finance the film. The comedy revolves around a groomsman who faces off … Read More »

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Skydance Sets Laeta Kalogridis And Patrick Lussier To Script Sci-Fi Adventure

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday April 16, 2012 @ 12:16pm PDTTags: David Ellison, Laeta Kalogridis, Patrick Lussier, Skydance Productions
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: David Ellison’s Skydance Productions, which has been in the middle of the recent Paramount hits Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and True Grit, is making good on its promise to develop its own original material. Ellison has set Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier to script an original science fiction adventure based on an idea hatched at Skydance.

They are keeping the idea close to the vest. Kalogridis’ scripting credits include Shutter Island and Alexander, and she was exec producer of Avatar. With her Mythology Entertainment partners Bradley Fischer and James Vanderbilt, she’s producing White House Down, the Vanderbilt-scripted drama that Roland Emmerich will direct for Sony Pictures. As for Lussier, his script credits include Wes Craven’s Dracula trilogies, My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry. He is separately co-writing an untitled thriller for producer Jason Blum that Lussier will direct. Read More »

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Skydance Acquires ‘Bad In Bed’ Pitch

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday November 14, 2011 @ 11:42am PSTTags: Adam Shankman, Barbra Streisand, Brad Pitt, Chris Pine, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Jennifer Gibgot, Seth Rogen, Steve Golin, Tom Cruise
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: David Ellison’s Skydance Productions has made a preemptive acquisition of Bad In Bed. The comedy pitch will be written by Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis, the scribes behind The Wedding Planner. They describe it as a racy high concept … Read More »

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Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci In Talks For Deal With David Ellison’s Skydance

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday October 25, 2011 @ 1:00pm PDTTags: Alex Kurtzman, David Ellison, K/O Paper Products, Roberto Orci, Skydance Productions
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Details are sketchy at the moment, but Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s studio-based K/O Paper Products company is in negotiations to join David Ellison’s Skydance Productions. The deal would be uniquely structured, sources say; Skydance declined comment. Kurtzman and … Read More »

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Shocker! New Regency Co-Chairmen Bob Harper And Hutch Parker To Exit

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday August 31, 2011 @ 8:45pm PDTTags: Andrew Niccol, Anna Faris, Arnon Milchan, Bob Harper, Brad Pitt, Chris Evans, Darren Aronofsky, David Ellison, Doug Liman, Emile Hirsch, Hutch Parker, James Gray, Jim Gianopulos, Max Minghella, New Regency, Tom Rothman
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: A major shake up is taking place at Arnon Milchan’s New Regency. Co-chairmen Bob Harper and Hutch Parker will not renew their contracts when they expire in December. I’ve confirmed with Harper that he and Parker are negotiating their exits. There had recently been a ripple of rumors about this, and there will be the inevitable speculation over whether the duo are jumping before being pushed. Harper didn’t get into that, but said that he was confirming because he and Parker were aware of the rumors and were most concerned with reassuring filmmakers with Regency projects that the duo would continue to be closely involved and see those films through to release. Harper also said the decision came after months of conversations with Milchan over whether or not to renew. Recently, they came to the conclusion that this was the best course. Milchan could conceivably name a replacement quickly, but Harper told me that he and Parker will continue to see through the completed films as well as some of the projects that are gearing up for production starts, regardless of how quickly the succession takes place.

Harper had been in the job for four years (he moved from the post of vice chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment and has worked for Fox since 1986), and Parker had been in the post for more than three years (he moved over from the post of 20th Century Fox vice chairman, and had been with the studio 13 years when he took the job). They have been involved in every facet of New Regency films, including production, marketing, distribution and administering the library. Harper said it is unclear what will happen next year, and that he and Harper haven’t solidified their plans. I wouldn’t be surprised if they remain on the Fox lot as producers or in some other capacity. Read More »

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Jeff Sagansky Launches Hemisphere Capital Management To Stake Feature Film Slate

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday August 2, 2011 @ 11:52am PDTTags: Brad Pitt, David Ellison, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Jeff Sagansky
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: An announcement just went out that Jean-Luc De Fanti, Jeff Sagansky and Eli Baker have launched the Hemisphere Tentpole Co-Financing Fund, a revolving equity and debt fund that intends to co-finance 12-16 films over a four- to five-year period. They start with last weekend’s The Smurfs, and the upcoming The Adventures of Tin Tin, Men In Black 3 and World War Z. My colleague Nikki Finke broke most of this stuff last week, when she wrote that Sagansky, De Fanti and Baker’s Winchester was behind the co-financing effort. They are simply calling it by another name. The new wrinkle is World War Z, the Brad Pitt zombie movie. Paramount insiders said there was another financing entity besides the studio and David Ellison’s Skydance that got the $125 million movie moving, but they wouldn’t reveal the funding source. Obviously is was Hemisphere. Here’s the official release: Read More »

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Tom Cruise Locked To Play Jack Reacher In ‘One Shot’ For Paramount And Skydance

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday July 15, 2011 @ 7:11pm PDTTags: Christopher McQuarrie, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Jack Reacher, Lee Child, One Shot, Paramount Pictures, Paula Wagner, Skydance Productions, Tom Cruise
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have closed a deal with Tom Cruise to play Jack Reacher in One Shot, the thriller based on the Lee Child bestselling book series about the former military policeman-turned-drifter. An early fall start date … Read More »

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Rising Scribes Miller & Stentz Follow ‘Thor’ And ‘X-Men: First Class’ With New Deals

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday June 8, 2011 @ 1:00pm PDTTags: Ashley Miller, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Laurie MacDonald, Marty Adelstein, Shawn Levy, Skydance, Thor, Walter Parkes, X-Men: First Class, Zack Stentz
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: In the past month, the screenwriting team of Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz have seen their script work on Thor and X-Men: First Class lead to big opening weekends. The scribes are capitalizing on their heat by making film … Read More »

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‘World War Z’ With Brad Pitt And Marc Forster Regroups; Can It Beat Imminent Zombie Pic Infestation?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 29, 2011 @ 11:53am PDTTags: Brad Pitt, Danny Boyle, David Ellison, Jonah Hill, Marc Forster, Max Brooks, Michael Bay, Nicholas Hoult, Paramount Pictures, Robert Schwentke, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Grahame-Smith, Skydance, World War Z, Zach Galifianakis, Zack Snyder
Mike Fleming

While there have been reports that Paramount might kill World War Z because of a $125 million budget and no partners, I’m hearing that hot and heavy talks are going on with David Ellison’s Skydance and as many as two … Read More »

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‘True Grit’ Co-Financier Skydance Targets ‘Star Blazers’ For Christopher McQuarrie

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday February 21, 2011 @ 10:26am PSTTags: Barbra Streisand, Charlize Theron, Chris Pine, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Fogelman, David Caspe, David Ellison, Ethan Coen, Jack Bender, Jack Ryan, Joel and Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Larry Ellison, Legendary Pictures, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, Seth Rogen, Shane Salerno, Skydance Productions, Steve Zaillian, Thomas Tull, Tom Cruise, True Grit
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: David Ellison’s Skydance Productions is negotiating a rights deal to turn the 1970s animated science fiction TV series Star Blazers into a large scale live action feature. Ellison will hire Christopher McQuarrie to write the script, with Ellison and … Read More »

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The Son Also Rises: David Ellison Funding 1/2 Of Paramount’s ‘Mission Impossible 4′, ‘True Grit’, & Jack Ryan

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Monday August 16, 2010 @ 5:14pm PDTTags: David Ellison, Larry Ellison, Mission: Impossible 4, Skydance Productions, True Grit

Let’s agree on this: Hollywood remains a haven for nepotism. It also opens its arms to anyone with money. So Oracle founder/CEO Larry Ellison’s 27-year-old son is welcomed as long as he’s coming up with $350M to co-fund movies. Funny how … Read More »

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