Today, Explained One nepo baby to rule them all
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Mar 13, 2026 
Reeves Weideman, a New York Magazine features writer who profiled David Ellison, explains Ellison’s climb from aspiring actor to Skydance power player. The conversation covers the massive studio merger at the heart of Hollywood consolidation. They talk layoffs, shrinking creative risk, streaming shakeups, and how industry power and politics reshape who gets to make movies.
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Consolidation Cuts Films And Talent Bargaining Power
- Consolidation of studios reduces competition, meaning fewer big-budget films and lower talent pay because there's less bidding between studios.
- Joe Adalian argues merged studios won't need as many films to fill pipelines and will prefer safer choices to avoid cannibalizing their own releases.
Streaming Shapes Which Movies Get Made
- Streaming motives shift film slates toward platform needs, so studios prioritize titles that feed their streaming services' catalogs over diverse theatrical risk-taking.
- Joe Adalian notes Warner and Paramount already tailor movies to HBO Max and Paramount+ pipelines.
Mergers Threaten CNN's Editorial Direction
- News brands like CNN face editorial risk after consolidation; leadership choices could tilt coverage toward center-right if executives like Barry Weiss lead merged newsrooms.
- Joe Adalian warns corporate pressure and leadership changes could make CNN resemble CBS News' more conservative slant.