David Ellison: Hollywood’s Rising Star

David Ellison’s Hollywood career has been defined by high-octane blockbusters filled with suspense, stunts, and improbable plot twists. On Sunday, he landed his biggest cliffhanger yet, striking a deal to merge with Paramount after months of negotiations with the company and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone. If the deal closes, he will be in charge of a sprawling media empire that includes CBS, MTV, and the Paramount movie studio. Though Mr. Ellison, 41, joined the cast of Hollywood’s power players more than a decade ago, he hasn’t taken center stage until now. Here’s a look at his career.

Who is David Ellison, and what is Skydance?

A quick perusal of Mr. Ellison’s page on the Internet Movie Database shows a relatively undistinguished acting career, including minor roles in films like the fighter drama “Flyboys” and teen comedy “The Chumscrubber” (in which he played “Student No. 1”). It wasn’t until he became a producer that his star in Hollywood began to rise.

After dropping out of the University of Southern California and giving up on acting, Mr. Ellison turned to producing. Leveraging his family’s considerable influence (he is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison), he was able to bankroll big-budget films like “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

The valuation of Mr. Ellison’s company, Skydance Media, has ballooned to over $4 billion, with investments from private-equity firms like RedBird Capital Partners and KKR. As the chief executive of Skydance, he has co-produced hits such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” with Paramount, establishing strong connections with the company’s executives and its most valuable franchises.