Skydance has filled much of its top table, but the executive who will run its international operations has still not been named.
Monday’s C-suite announcement left the international post open, Deadline reported. The two names being discussed are Paramount’s Kevin MacLellan and Warner Bros Discovery’s Gerhard Zeiler. An appointment is expected within days, possibly alongside the next group of executives.
MacLellan holds the inside track
MacLellan appears to be the leading candidate. He has a close relationship with Skydance co-CEO David Ellison and currently oversees Paramount’s international and global content distribution. He was named to that role on the same day Skydance bought the studio in 2025.
His career spans more than 25 years in media and entertainment. He ran NBCUniversal’s international television business from 2011 to 2013 and later spent seven years as the company’s global distribution chief before leaving in 2020. After a stint in real estate, he returned to the screen business at Paramount.
Zeiler may exit before the race is decided
Zeiler’s future is less clear. The Austrian executive has told his home country’s media that he wants to lead the centre-left Social Democratic Party, whose current leader plans to step down next year. Zeiler was quoted saying “I believe I am the right person to lead the party out of this historic low.” He has maintained a political presence for a decade and previously tried for the party chairmanship, so a second run is plausible.
At 71, Zeiler has spent 14 years across Warner Bros’ changing ownership structures. He joined from RTL Group, led Turner’s international arm, then took on WarnerMedia’s non-US businesses and was part of the HBO Max rollout. A Warner Bros Discovery international staffer described him to Deadline as a bellwether for the future of the international business.
Why this matters for the screen business
The international role is not a ceremonial one. It shapes how a combined Skydance-Paramount invests in local content, distributes film and television outside the United States and rolls out streaming services in new markets.
- MacLellan would likely mean continuity with Paramount’s existing global distribution machinery.
- Zeiler would bring long experience across Warner’s international streaming businesses, but his political ambitions create obvious uncertainty.
- The decision should land in the coming days and will signal how aggressive Skydance plans to be internationally.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the pick will clarify where budgets and platform priorities are likely to move next. A MacLellan appointment points to a familiar Paramount playbook; a different outcome would suggest a wider reset.
Source: Deadline
