Paramount+ drama teams are being drawn into a review that could move forthcoming series to HBO, even as every programme remains assigned to Paramount+ for now.
The review follows Skydance’s completion of its acquisition of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery on October 6. Casey Bloys, the former HBO & HBO Max CEO and a 22-year HBO veteran, was then elevated to Co-Chair and Chief Content Officer of Skydance DTC, with responsibility for combining the content operations of Paramount+ and HBO/HBO Max.
Bloys spent two weeks examining Paramount+’s content operation and team, considering ways to restructure dramatic programming across the combined platforms. He brought Francesca Orsi, Sarah Aubrey and Amy Gravitt from HBO/HBO Max as his senior leadership team.
Aubrey now leads Paramount+, Max Originals and International Programming, with oversight of all Paramount+ programming. Orsi, promoted from executive vice-president to President of HBO Drama Series and Films, is working with Bloys on deciding which drama projects suit HBO.
The two executives are reviewing the Paramount+ drama slate together. Their task goes to the heart of the new structure: Orsi may also work on prestige drama that remains at Paramount+ where that makes sense.
Two series in production stand out in the discussions. Discretion, starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, has often been described as HBO-like and is seen as a logical candidate for HBO. The Best of Us, a limited series about 9/11 first responders led by the Emmy-winning Succession actor Jeremy Strong, is also considered a logical target.
Those discussions have reached the highest levels of the company. Yet no series has moved, and projects earmarked for Paramount+ remain there for the time being. The process remains at an early stage, with no final decisions made.
The review comes after the departure of Jane Wiseman, Paramount+’s executive vice-president and head of originals, in a restructuring announced on October 23. Her team now reports to Aubrey.
During 14 months at Paramount+, Wiseman oversaw 28 new series pickups across scripted, unscripted and children’s and family programming, along with 16 renewals. The first two scripted series ordered under her were Discretion and The Best Of Us. In an internal memo, Bloys said Wiseman had done amazing work at Paramount+, called the development slate incredibly impressive and said he appreciated her support.
The programming decisions are unfolding alongside a broader plan. David Ellison has said Paramount+ and HBO Max will become one platform in the next couple of years. The combined company has more than 220 million global subscribers across its streaming services, faces significant debt and must produce at least 180 shows per year.
Bloys has signed a long-term contract that keeps him at Skydance until at least 2032. Bringing the Paramount+ and HBO Max teams and services together now falls to him.
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