Michael B. Jordan’s Perfect 137-Minute Masterpiece Inspired Paramount to Make More Original Movies

Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners has added another surprising feather in its cap. After the Oscars and the box office success, Ryan Coogler’s musical vampire action thriller has inspired Paramount CEO David Ellison to chase originals as much as franchise IP in the newly merged Skydance corporation. He recently stated (via THR),

You absolutely will see us tell original stories.

The statement reportedly came after he claimed the 137-minute Sinners to be his favorite movie of 2025. As the Warner Bros. heads who commissioned it exit the new merger, Paramount’s upcoming slate has been in question, and the way forward has been unclear. However, Ellison’s statement seems to have put these questions and doubts to rest.

Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners Sets Blueprint for Paramount CEO’s Plan

Michael B. Jordan in Sinners | Credits: Warner Bros.

Michael B. Jordan played the twins, Smoke and Stack, in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2026. The film became a cultural phenomenon when it was released, due to its blend of period storytelling, blues music, and vampire lore. The film was a huge box office success, earning $371.5 million (via Box Office Mojo).

It was a huge boost for the film industry at the time and sent a clear message that audiences would flock to the cinemas for original stories as long as they were done well. Jordan’s performance, as well as Coogler’s storytelling, impressed fans around the world, and it won big at the Oscars. Coogler won for Best Original Screenplay, and Jordan won Best Actor.

As Warner Bros. heads for the merger with Paramount, the success of Sinners and David Ellison’s invocation bodes well for the future of the studio. Original stories like Sinners need good studios backing them amidst all the franchise investment. Even this year, with Obsession, The Odyssey, and more, we saw original stories at the forefront.

Paramount/Skydance currently has multiple major IPs in its catalog, such as the DC universe, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek, and while these franchises need a push, original titles such as Sinners, One Battle After Another, Mickey 17, and more need backing as well. The statement sets out a clear blueprint for how the studio is looking at its slate in the future, which is a balance of originals and known IPs.

How Will David Ellison Balance WB and Paramount’s Slates in Future?

A still from Sinners | Credits: Warner Bros.

David Ellison said the combined Skydance corporation will be investing more in content than other competitors like Netflix and Disney. There were some concerns about how this would transpire and what the mix of originals in their slate would be as Sinners and Digger producers Michael de Luca and Pam Abdy exited the studio (via THR).

However, Ellison’s plan seems to be keeping the creative decisions of each studio separate and just moving the slate around for the projects as and when necessary. With the new merger, the company has many studios under its wing, including DC, WB, CBS, CNN, HBO Max, and more. It is a complex problem to solve.

However, Ellison and his co-CEO, Ynon Kreiz, have assured fans that there will be no dearth of established favorites and fresh original content. He said (via THR),

The plan is to keep the studios creatively independent, so each studio will have its own slate, its own relationship, its own opportunities. Then we will choreograph the release schedule to optimize for genre and audience demographic to achieve for the company as a whole.

They also maintained that the plan was to release 30 films a year with all studios combined and eventually separate the TV and film wings. Ellison also spoke about bringing Paramount+ and HBO Max under the same umbrella. However, the priority seems to be assuring the creative community that the studio is prioritizing good content.

Do you think David Ellison’s Skydance will be able to deliver hits like Sinners? Comment below.