Episode 153: Skydance's Warner Bros To-Do List

Skydance Pictures Co-Chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein have inherited one of the most complex theatrical slates in modern studio history — roughly 65 Warner Bros titles spanning finished films, stalled productions, greenlight candidates, and deep development. This episode maps the full triage list and identifies the highest-leverage decisions the new regime faces immediately, from an ungreenlighted Barbie sequel to a paused Batman Part II to the financial math of a studio carrying $79B in net debt. Key Takeaways: Barbie 2 is the #1 priority — no greenlit sequel yet despite the original grossing $1.44B, making it WB's highest-grossing film ever; Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling all need to be re-upped. Jonah Hill's finished comedy The Cut Off , co-starring Kristen Wiig, has been pulled from the release calendar with no new date — a distribution decision sitting on Goldberg and Greenstein's desk. The combined Paramount-Warner Bros entity projects $30B+ in annual content spend against $79B in net debt; Ellison cited $2.7B in synergy overdelivery at Paramount as his proof-of-concept. On a 30-picture slate commitment, the contractual penalty for non-delivery is reportedly ~$30M per film — structurally cheaper than releasing a troubled $300M production, creating a real shelving incentive. Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II (dated Feb. 18, 2028) is currently in a production pause; Baz Luhrmann's Jehanne d'Arc (Nov. 22, 2028) is awaiting a new script draft before a spring start. Bradley Cooper's untitled Ocean's prequel — which he co-wrote, directs, and produces alongside Margot Robbie — is in production for a June 25, 2027 release. Warner Bros and Paramount will operate as independent creative studios with coordinated release scheduling by genre and audience demographic, per Co-CEO Ynon Kriez. The slate Goldberg and Greenstein inherited is full through mid-2028 but increasingly unsettled in the back half and into 2029. The structural tension between a $79B debt load and a $30M non-delivery penalty clause is the financial fact that agents and producers with Warner deals need to understand now — before their project ends up in a rewrites queue with no attached director. Subscribe to The Option for daily updates on the business behind the business.