David Ellison is a renowned American movie producer, billionaire, and the CEO of ‘Skydance Media’. With a background in acting, he transitioned into executive producing some of the biggest blockbusters of the last decade. His notable movies include ‘True Grit’, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’, and ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’. In addition to his success in the film industry, David has also created successful companies like ‘Skydance Television’ and ‘Skydance Interactive’. He has even ventured into the world of online streaming platforms with shows like ‘Altered Carbon’ and ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’. Beyond his professional achievements, David is a licensed stunt and commercial pilot who enjoys driving expensive cars.
Quick Facts
- Age: 40 Years, 40 Year Old Males
- Family: Spouse/Ex-: Sandra Lynn Modic (m. 2011), father: Larry Ellison, mother: Barbara Boothe, siblings: Megan Ellison
- Born Country: United States
- CEOs
- T V & Movie Producers
- Height: 6’1″ (185 cm), 6’1″ Males
- Ancestry: Italian American, Russian American
- U.S. State: California
- More Facts
- Education: University Of Southern California
David Ellison: A Career in Movies
David Ellison, the acclaimed movie producer, developed a love for movies from a young age. His father, Larry Ellison, the founder of ‘Oracle’, influenced him during his high school years when he worked as a developer for his father’s company. However, David decided to pursue his passion for film and enrolled in film school at the ‘University of Southern California’. He began his career by producing short films such as ‘The Sound of Football’ (2004) and ‘Somebody Else’ (2005).
Early Career and Setbacks
In 2005, David Ellison made his acting debut in a small role in ‘The Chumscrubber’. He also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the short film ‘When All Else Fails’ (2005). In 2006, he founded his own production company called ‘Skydance Media’. The first movie produced by the studio was the World War 1 drama ‘Flyboys’ (2006). Unfortunately, the film was a commercial and critical failure, which led David to experience depression and hospitalization.
Success and Partnerships
Despite the setback, in 2009, ‘Skydance Media’ secured a co-financing deal worth US $450 million with ‘Paramount Pictures Corporation’. The first movie produced under this deal was ‘True Grit’ (2010), in which David served as the executive producer. The film was a major success, earning over US $252 million at the box office and receiving ten ‘Academy Award’ nominations. David also finalized a four-year US $200 million revolving-credit facility deal with ‘JPMorgan Chase & Co.’ in August 2010.
Box Office Hits and Television Ventures
In 2011, David Ellison executive-produced ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’, which generated profits of over US $694 million. He followed this success with two box-office hits, ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012) and ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ (2013). In 2013, he executive-produced two more successful films, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and ‘World War Z’, each earning over US $300 million in profits. ‘Skydance Media’ expanded to ‘Skydance Television’ in May 2013, and David went on to executive-produce acclaimed TV series such as ‘Manhattan’ (2014 – 2015) and ‘Grace and Frankie’ (2015 – present).
Ups and Downs
While some of David Ellison’s projects faced setbacks, such as the failure of ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ (2014) and the mixed reception of ‘Terminator Genisys’ (2015), he redeemed himself with the massive hit ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015), which earned over US $682 million at the box office. In 2016, he ventured into the gaming industry by forming ‘Skydance Interactive’ and released the VR game ‘Archangel’ in 2017.
Recent Projects and Future Endeavors
David Ellison faced a string of box-office disappointments with films like ‘Star Trek Beyond’ (2016), ‘Baywatch’ (2017), and ‘Geostorm’ (2017). However, he received critical acclaim for producing ‘Annihilation’ (2018), despite its box-office failure. He achieved great success with ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018), which became the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, earning over US $792 million. In addition to his film projects, David also produced hit TV series like ‘Altered Carbon’, ‘Dietland’, and ‘Jack Ryan’ in 2018. His upcoming projects include highly anticipated films such as ‘Gemini Man’, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, and ‘Top Gun Maverick’, as well as the show ‘Foundation Series’ for ‘Apple’.
Personal Life
David Ellison was born on January 9, 1983, in Santa Clara County, California, USA. His father is billionaire Larry Ellison, and his mother is Larry’s ex-wife Barbara Boothe Ellison. He has a sister named Megan Ellison, who is also a movie producer. David has been happily married to Sandra Lynn Modic since October 1, 2011.