The much-awaited merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is set to take the name Skydance, as the two entertainment giants prepare to complete their combination on October 6.

Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison confirmed the new identity, choosing the name of his original film production company, Skydance Media, for the combined business.

According to a Variety report, the name is intended to give the new conglomerate its own identity while allowing the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands to retain their distinct identities and legacies.

In a post on X, Ellison said Paramount and Warner Bros. had shaped more than a century of culture and that bringing the two companies together was intended to give the iconic studios a more powerful platform. He said the new identity would allow Paramount, Warner Bros. and their other brands to remain in the spotlight.

The deal, which is expected to close on October 6, will bring together two of Hollywood’s biggest movie studios, along with the HBO Max and Paramount+ streaming services. The combined company will also include major television businesses such as CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central and Food Network.

The new Skydance will bring together a wide portfolio of entertainment franchises, including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Yellowstone, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun and Nickelodeon.

Skydance will be led by David Ellison as chairman and CEO, while former Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz will serve as co-CEO. Kreiz is scheduled to join the company on October 5 and will oversee the day-to-day operations and integration of the combined businesses, while Ellison will focus on strategy, creative and technology functions.

The merger cleared its final major legal hurdle on September 30, when a US judge approved Paramount’s settlement with the attorneys general of 12 states that had challenged the deal on antitrust grounds. The approval cleared the way for the companies to move ahead with the planned October 6 closing.

The merger represents a major consolidation of Hollywood’s film, television and streaming businesses. The combined company will operate a much broader entertainment portfolio, bringing together the legacy studios and television networks of both Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery under the new Skydance corporate identity.

At the same time, the individual brands will continue to play a central role. Ellison said the intention behind choosing the Skydance name was not to diminish or replace the identities of Paramount and Warner Bros., but to create an overarching identity for the combined company.

The company is also expected to begin trading under a new identity following the merger. According to Variety, its Class B common stock is planned to move from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange on October 6, with the ticker expected to change from PSKY to SKYD. The corporate name is also expected to be changed to Skydance Corporation.

With the closing date now approaching, the formation of Skydance will mark the next phase for two of Hollywood’s most established entertainment businesses, bringing their studios, streaming services, television networks and major franchises together under one corporate umbrella.