LOS ANGELES — Paramount Skydance has agreed to put its pledge to release 30 movies a year in cinemas into contracts with major theater chains if its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is completed, according to people familiar with the matter.
Paramount has offered three-year agreements to AMC Entertainment and Cineworld’s Regal Cinemas requiring the combined company to release 30 films annually in theaters, the people said. The agreements would require each film to have an exclusive theatrical run of at least 45 days and prevent it from becoming available on streaming services for at least 90 days, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the contracts are private.
The proposed commitments would formalize a pledge Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison has made publicly as he seeks to complete the roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount has said the combined company would release at least 30 theatrical films a year, with 15 from each studio.
Ellison reiterated the commitment at CinemaCon in April, telling theater owners that the company would provide 30 annual releases and a 45-day exclusive theatrical window. Paramount has also said the 45-day window would apply immediately to its own theatrical releases.
The proposed contracts could give theater operators greater certainty over the supply of major studio releases at a time when the exhibition industry remains under pressure from streaming and changing moviegoing habits. The U.S. domestic box office remains below pre-pandemic levels, while theater owners have expressed concern that consolidation among studios could reduce the number of films reaching cinemas.
Paramount's current theatrical slate has expanded sharply. The company said in a regulatory filing that it had more than 15 films dated for 2026, compared with eight releases in 2025.
The proposed Warner Bros. transaction remains subject to regulatory scrutiny and other closing conditions. Paramount has argued that combining the studios would increase its scale and allow it to invest more heavily in theatrical and streaming content, while opponents have raised concerns about concentration in Hollywood.
The contractual commitments, including potential penalties if Paramount fails to meet its obligations, could also be used in discussions over the antitrust challenges to the transaction, according to the people familiar with the matter.
