The international restructuring begins
The historic merger between Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery is officially crossing the finish line today, and the vibes are already shifting. We were lowkey expecting Kevin MacLellan, who currently serves as Paramount’s president of international and global content distribution, to snag the top international role for the new company. But sources are confirming he will not move forward in the position.
Why the change?
It’s giving a total reset. While MacLellan is widely respected as a heavy hitter in the industry—having managed 2,600 employees across 36 countries during his time at NBCUniversal—David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz have other plans. They are looking to thoroughly reorganize the international piece of the organization from the ground up rather than plugging existing leaders into the old slots.
This follows reports earlier Monday that Gerhard Zeiler, the current president of international for Warner Bros. Discovery, is also set to exit the company as he pivots to a career in Austrian politics.
Who is staying?
While the international side is getting a glow-up, the leadership team for other divisions is already set. Heavy hitters like Casey Bloys, Dana Goldberg, Josh Greenstein, James Gunn, Peter Safran, George Cheeks, and JB Perrette are all staying on. However, not everyone is making the jump—Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group heads Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca are officially out.
Why it matters
This merger is one of the biggest moves in Hollywood history. Ellison and Kreiz are aiming to build a “creative-first home” that dominates streaming and global TV, and they aren't afraid to clean house to get their dream team in place. We’ll be watching to see who fills these massive international shoes as the operational dust settles over the next few months.
