David Ellison is one of the rare rich (make that VERY rich) outsiders to go into the movie business and NOT come out significantly poorer. Yes, he has made a few artistically commendable films, although fewer than his sister Megan's Annapurna Pictures has made. But PLEASE do not overly praise his role in guiding Mission Impossible pict…
David Ellison is one of the rare rich (make that VERY rich) outsiders to go into the movie business and NOT come out significantly poorer. Yes, he has made a few artistically commendable films, although fewer than his sister Megan's Annapurna Pictures has made. But PLEASE do not overly praise his role in guiding Mission Impossible pictures onto movie screens. His father's vast wealth ($92 billion at latest count) has enabled him and his sister to take risks that the merely well-to-do could never take.
Please understand when a major studio like Paramount ALLOWS young Mr. Ellison to "produce" one of their safest tent-pole franchises, it is because they can craft a deal that shifts whatever risk MIGHT exist onto their "banker"--as that is what David's role is. Tom Cruise is ESSENTIAL to getting this picture made; David Ellison's money is nice but hardly essential. And whatever creative input he may have had was, I can guess from 30 years in the biz, it is at most frosting on a cake baked by others.
I don't think anyone would dispute that Tom Cruise is more important to his movies than David Ellison! But I think it is generally under-appreciated how much interesting work Skydance is bankrolling and also that he has become the more successful, by far, of the Ellisons to open up a studio.
David Ellison is one of the rare rich (make that VERY rich) outsiders to go into the movie business and NOT come out significantly poorer. Yes, he has made a few artistically commendable films, although fewer than his sister Megan's Annapurna Pictures has made. But PLEASE do not overly praise his role in guiding Mission Impossible pictures onto movie screens. His father's vast wealth ($92 billion at latest count) has enabled him and his sister to take risks that the merely well-to-do could never take.
Please understand when a major studio like Paramount ALLOWS young Mr. Ellison to "produce" one of their safest tent-pole franchises, it is because they can craft a deal that shifts whatever risk MIGHT exist onto their "banker"--as that is what David's role is. Tom Cruise is ESSENTIAL to getting this picture made; David Ellison's money is nice but hardly essential. And whatever creative input he may have had was, I can guess from 30 years in the biz, it is at most frosting on a cake baked by others.
I don't think anyone would dispute that Tom Cruise is more important to his movies than David Ellison! But I think it is generally under-appreciated how much interesting work Skydance is bankrolling and also that he has become the more successful, by far, of the Ellisons to open up a studio.