David Ellison

Last updated

David Ellison
Born (1983-01-09) January 9, 1983 (age 42)
Santa Clara County, California, U.S.
Education University of Southern California (dropped out)
Occupations
  • Film producer
  • actor
Years active2005–present
TitleChairman & CEO, Paramount Skydance Corporation
Founder of Skydance Media
Spouse
Sandra Lynn Modic
​
(m. 2011)​
Children2
Parents
Family Megan Ellison (sister)

David Ellison (born January 9, 1983) is an American film producer. He is the son of multibillionaire and Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison. He was a founder and CEO of Skydance Media, established in 2006 until 2025. He has produced films, including Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for the Best Picture. Since August 2025, Ellison has served as Chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation.

Contents

Early life and education

Ellison was born on January 9, 1983 in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Oracle Corporation co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison and his ex-wife, Barbara Boothe Ellison. His father is of Italian and Jewish heritage. [1] Ellison grew up in Woodside, California with his mother, who nurtured his love for film. [2] He attended the University of Southern California, but dropped out of its film school in 2005 to make his first movie, Flyboys . [3] [4] Ellison was influenced by businessman Steve Jobs, a friend of his father, and pitched Jobs his idea for Skydance Media before revising it under Jobs' advice. [2] He has one sister, film producer Megan Ellison, who founded Annapurna Pictures. [1]

Career

Ellison is the CEO and founder of Skydance Media. The company's films include Mission: Impossible – Fallout , Annihilation , World War Z , True Grit , Jack Reacher , Star Trek Into Darkness , Star Trek Beyond . Ellison was named to Variety 's Dealmaker list for 2010 [5] and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2011. [6] Ellison was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for Top Gun: Maverick .

As an actor, Ellison has performed in the films Flyboys , Little Fish, Strange Pond, and Hole in One .

Ellison's company Skydance Media expanded in 2013 with the launch of its television division. He has executive produced shows such as Altered Carbon and Grace and Frankie .

In 2014, Ellison launched a new line of men's clothing, called the "LANAI Collection." [7]

In 2017, Ellison helped launch Skydance Animation in partnership with Spain's Ilion Animation Studios. He hired the former Pixar CCO John Lasseter to run Skydance Animation. [8]

Paramount Skydance Corporation

In January 2024, it was reported that Ellison was interested in merging Skydance Media with Paramount Global and buying the latter's parent company National Amusements from Shari Redstone. [9] The merger received approval from the FCC in July of 2025. The merger was completed by August 7, 2025 and Paramount Skydance Corporation was formed. Ellison serves as Chairman and CEO of the merged company. [10]

Personal life

Ellison is a licensed pilot with instrument ratings for helicopter aviation, aerobatics, commercial aviation, fixed-wing aircraft, and multi-engine aircraft. In 2003, aged 20, he was selected to perform as part of Sean D. Tucker's "Stars of Tomorrow" aerobatic team at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. [11]

Ellison is a member of the Producers Guild of America and Television Academy. [12]

He married Sandra Lynn Modic, an actress and singer, on October 1, 2011, in Palm Springs, California. [13] They have two children. [14]

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

Producer

Actor
YearFilmRoleNotes
2005 The Chumscrubber Student #1
When All Else FailsMike WilliamsShort film
2006 Flyboys Eddie Beagle
2009 Hole in One Tyler Hayden
Little Fish, Strange Pond RomeoDirect-to-video
Director
YearFilmNotes
2005When All Else FailsShort film
Writer
YearFilmNotes
2005When All Else FailsShort film
Thanks
YearFilmNotes
2013 Phantom Special thanks

Television

Executive producer
Actor
YearTitleRoleNotes
2008Blank SlateBlake FeltzerTelevision film
2010 Leverage Ballard

References

  1. 1 2 Matthew Symonds, Larry Ellison. Software: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle Simon and Schuster, 2004. pp332-333
  2. 1 2 "David Ellison's journey from trust fund kid to media mogul vying to buy Paramount". Los Angeles Times. April 22, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  3. ↑ Fritz, Ben, "Ellison: more than a trust fund kid?", Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2011.
  4. ↑ Masters, Kim, "How David Ellison, Son of Larry Ellison, Scored Big With 'True Grit'" Archived April 29, 2021, at the Wayback Machine , Hollywood Reporter, March 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ Lowry, Tom. "Paramount-Skydance deal: Dealmakers Impact Report 2010", Variety.com, December 9, 2010.
  6. ↑ Dorothy Pomerantz, Michael K. Ozanian and David M. Ewalt. "Forbes 30 Under 30" Archived February 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , "Forbes.com", December 19, 2011.
  7. ↑ Bort, Julie (December 4, 2014). "Larry Ellison's Son Launches A Clothing Line Inspired By His Dad's Hawaiian Island". Business Insider. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 16, 2017). "David Ellison's Skydance Launching Animation Division With Spain's Ilion". Variety. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  9. ↑ "David Ellison Makes Offer for Redstone Family's Media Empire". Bloomberg.com. January 24, 2024. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ FCC Approves Skydance's Acquisition of Paramount CBS [ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ EAA News Archived December 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ; accessed October 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Execs Archive". Skydance Media. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Tom Cruise Wedding Dance Battle...Caught On Tape". TMZ . June 10, 2011. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Tom and Katie were in Palm Springs this weekend celebrating the wedding of Sandy Modic and David Ellison.
  14. ↑ Farah, Lynn (March 21, 2024). "Meet Larry Ellison's Hollywood children, David and Megan: the heirs to the Oracle co-founder's billion-dollar fortune are nepo babies in film, but remain largely behind-the-scenes". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on October 18, 2024.
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