Skydance president Andy Gordon has solidified leadership positions across key areas outside the newly merged company’s TV and film divisions, including games and experiences, products and publishing, HR and global operations.
Additionally, Skydance has revealed that Paramount and WBD’s games and experiences divisions will be merged into one team which will oversee projects based on IP ranging from Paramount’s “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “South Park,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Godfather” to Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter,” DC Universe, “Mortal Kombat,” “The Matrix,” “Rick and Morty” and “Game of Thrones.”
Notably, this means combining the newly formed Paramount Games Studio with Warner Bros. Games’ internal video game developers, including Avalanche Software (the makers of “Hogwarts Legacy”), NetherRealm Studios, Rocksteady Studios, TT Games and the WB Games teams in Montreal and Boston.
In an email sent to staff Tuesday evening, which was obtained by Variety, Gordon announced the following:
- Tony Driscoll will be president of games and experiences, in addition to leading corporate strategy and development
- Josh Silverman will be president of global products and publishing
- Jim Sterner will remain chief people officer and continue to lead HR operations
- Jose Turkienicz will continue as president of global operations, including real estate, procurement, and studio operations, with a “focus on simplifying processes and improving service to our businesses so teams can bring ideas to market faster”
- Jeff Silberman will be Gordon’s chief of staff in addition to continuing as executive vice president of corporate strategy
“We’re investing in our future growth engines alongside our core ambitions in TV, Film and direct-to-consumer: Games, Experiences, Consumer Products, and Publishing,” Gordon wrote. “These are core pillars of our strategy to build engagement and fandom in both the physical and digital worlds. We want to meet consumers where they watch, play, and engage. At the same time, we see opportunities to build on DC Comics’ storytelling and expand our e-commerce offerings to connect fans with the brands they love.”
Games and experiences chief Driscoll (who was named head of Paramount’s newly launched video game studio in June, a combo of Paramount and Skydance’s gaming assets) laid out early plans for his team in his own memo.
“We immerse our guests in theme parks, resorts, restaurants, retail, studio tours and more. We immerse our players in action, adventure, combat, competition and creativity, from ‘Batman’ to ‘SpongeBob,’” Driscoll wrote. “And no matter your role on this team, you are a creator, builder, operator, and steward of those worlds. We have the opportunity to create amazing spaces where friendships are formed and communities grow. That is only possible because of your hard work and talent. Whether it’s on Zoom or in person, my first priority in the coming weeks is meeting as many of you as I can from LA to London, Montreal to Tokyo, and beyond.”
