Could David Ellison turn to a veteran CEO to join the combined Paramount-Warner Bros?
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Kreiz told Mattel’s board of directors that he is leaving the toy giant to take a senior position at David Ellison’s soon-to-be-merged entertainment company.
Shortly after Mattel announced that Kreiz would be leaving for another role at a public company this morning, rumors swirled that he might return to the entertainment business, specifically at Ellison’s combined studio.
Kreiz cannot be appointed to any position within the combined company until Judge Martínez-Olguín approves the settlement with state attorneys general and the deal is officially reached.
Paramount was not available for comment.
Kreiz, of course, is no stranger to the entertainment business or Warner Bros. He was the CEO responsible for pushing Mattel into entertainment, with box office hits like barbie. Warners already has a Hot Wheels movie in the works, which will be directed by Jon M. Chu.
He previously served as president of Maker Studios (whose sale he negotiated to Disney) and before that, CEO of European production company Endemol.
An industry insider said Kreiz would be a “terrific” hire for Ellison, given his experience in both entertainment and global operations. Although his precise title is not yet clear, given his role at Mattel, it would certainly be something extremely high-ranking.
His addition to the Paramount-Warners leadership team would give the combined company an operational veteran to work alongside Ellison, whose background is in the creative side of the business. Kreiz joined Mattel in 2018 and led the company through both the COVID-19 pandemic and President Trump’s tariffs, each of which was extremely difficult to resolve for a company with a global footprint as large as Mattel.
When Ellison’s Skydance first acquired Paramount, the company tapped former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell to be president, although Shell left the company earlier this year after facing a lawsuit from a whistleblower who claimed he shared confidential information (that lawsuit was settled).
On Tuesday, Paramount streaming chief Cindy Holland announced her departure from the company, suggesting that HBO’s Casey Bloys would take over the streaming business once the deal closes.
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