Tom Cruise backs Paramount Warner Bros merger with bold 30 film promise

Tom Cruise is throwing his support behind David Ellison’s plan for a combined Paramount and Warner Bros to release at least 30 films theatrically each year, saying he believes the ambitious target will become a reality if the proposed merger is completed.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Cruise expressed confidence that Ellison would deliver on the promise and argued that increasing film production could help the wider Hollywood community. "They’re going to deliver 30 movies," Cruise said, describing the people working across the studios as a community rather than an industry.

Cruise also stressed that the proposed 30 film annual slate should involve filmmakers and artists across Hollywood. He said he wanted writers, directors, producers and other creative professionals to have opportunities to develop their careers and gain experience by working on successive productions.

The actor connected the idea to his own career, pointing to filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan as examples of artists who had opportunities to develop through repeated projects. Cruise argued that Hollywood needs to create an environment where more films can be made, allowing emerging talent to gain experience while giving established artists opportunities to continue working.

The 30 film target originates with Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, who has repeatedly said that a combined Paramount and Warner Bros would release at least 30 theatrical films annually, with 15 titles coming from each studio. Paramount has already increased its planned output for 2026 to at least 15 films, compared with eight releases in 2025.

Ellison has also pledged to maintain a 45 day theatrical window for Paramount films. At CinemaCon in April, he said the combined company would make a minimum of 30 films for cinemas once the Warner Bros transaction is completed.

The scale of that plan has attracted scepticism within the film business. Industry analyst David A Gross previously questioned whether a studio could successfully develop, produce, market and distribute 30 wide theatrical releases in a single year. The concern is that simply increasing the number of films does not guarantee stronger box office performance.

Cruise nevertheless remains enthusiastic about increasing theatrical production. He pointed to the strong performance of several films during the 2026 summer season and argued that audiences need a steady supply of movies to keep visiting cinemas. He also recalled periods in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s when multiple films opened each weekend and cinemas attracted large audiences.

Cruise has a particularly long history with Paramount. The studio released all eight films in his Mission: Impossible franchise, beginning with Mission: Impossible in 1996. His other Paramount credits include Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, The Firm, Vanilla Sky, Collateral, War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher and Days of Thunder. A sequel to Days of Thunder is currently planned for 2028.

His relationship with Ellison also extends beyond their shared connection to Paramount. Skydance Media worked with Cruise on Mission: Impossible projects and Top Gun: Maverick, while Cruise has a first look production agreement with Warner Bros.

The proposed Paramount Warner Bros merger, however, remains subject to legal challenges. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other states are pursuing an antitrust case seeking to block the transaction, arguing that the deal could reduce competition across film and television. A separate legal challenge has also been brought by the Writers Guild of America.

The transaction has received regulatory clearance in several jurisdictions, including approval from the US Justice Department in June, but the state litigation remains a major obstacle to completion. Recent reporting indicates that the legal dispute is continuing, with a trial currently expected in March 2027.