David Ellison Biography

(Producer)

Birthday: January 9, 1983 (Capricorn)

Born In: Santa Clara County, California, United States

David Ellison is a renowned American movie producer, a billionaire, and the CEO of ‘Skydance Media’. Born to billionaire parents, he made his debut in Hollywood as an actor-producer. In spite of a very rough start, he left acting to executive produce some of the biggest blockbusters of the last decade. Some of David Ellison’s best-known movies as a producer are, ‘True Grit’, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’, ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’, ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. He has also gone on to create immensely successful companies like ‘Skydance Television’ and ‘Skydance Interactive’. If that wasn’t enough, he has also made his journey to the world of online streaming platforms like ‘Netflix’ and ‘Amazon Prime’. ‘Altered Carbon’ and ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ are two of his highest-rated shows. Known for living his life large, David is also a trained and licensed stunt and commercial pilot and likes driving expensive cars.
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Quick Facts

Age: 41 Years, 41 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

  • 1

    What is David Ellison's role in the film industry?

    David Ellison is a film producer and founder of Skydance Media, a production company known for producing big-budget films.
  • 2

    Which notable films has David Ellison produced?

    David Ellison has produced films such as "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," "Terminator Genisys," and "Star Trek Into Darkness."
  • 3

    Is David Ellison involved in any philanthropic activities?

    David Ellison is known for his support of various charitable causes, especially those related to education and healthcare.
  • 4

    How has David Ellison contributed to the advancement of technology in filmmaking?

    David Ellison has been a proponent of using cutting-edge technology in filmmaking, such as incorporating visual effects and CGI to enhance the cinematic experience.
  • 5

    What is the impact of David Ellison's work on the entertainment industry?

    David Ellison's work has had a significant impact on the entertainment industry by producing successful blockbuster films and pushing the boundaries of storytelling and visual effects.
Career
Acclaimed movie producer, David Ellison’s love for movies was instilled in him since childhood. While in high school, he worked for two summers as a developer for his father, Larry Ellison, the founder of ‘Oracle’. However, David Ellison left his father’s business and started attending film school at the ‘University of Southern California’. He quit and went on to produce short films like ‘The Sound of Football’ (2004) and ‘Somebody Else’ (2005).
In 2005, he made his acting debut in a small role in ‘The Chumscrubber’. He would later write, direct, produce, and star in the short ‘When All Else Fails’ (2005). In 2006, David Ellison founded the production company ‘Skydance Media’. The first movie out of the production studio was the World War 1 drama ‘Flyboys’ (2006). Unfortunately, the movie made a mere US $17 million against a budget of US $60 million. The critical and commercial failure of the movie sent David to depression and hospitalization.
In 2009, ‘Skydance Media’ made a US $450 million co-financing deal with ‘Paramount Pictures Corporation’. The first movie to come out of this deal was ‘True Grit’ (2010) with Ellison as the executive producer. The movie was a major hit with a box-office haul of more than US $252 million. It also won ten ‘Academy Award’ nominations. The TV series ‘Leverage’ (2010) was his last acting venture.
The same year in August 2010, he also finalized a four-year US $200 million revolving-credit facility deal with ‘JPMorgan Chase & Co.’. In 2011, David Ellison executive-produced ‘Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol’. The movie generated profits of more than US $694 million. In spite of being critical failures, he then delivered two box-office hits in ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012) and ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ (2013).
In 2013, David Ellison executive-produced two of the biggest hits of the year in ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and ‘World War Z’, which made more than US $300 million in profits, each. In May 2013, ‘Skydance Media’ branched out to ‘Skydance Television’ and also renewed its four years deal with ‘Paramount Pictures’. Ellison went on to executive-produce the acclaimed TV series, ‘Manhattan’ (2014 – 2015) and ‘Grace and Frankie’ (2015 – present).
‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ (2014) was a failure, but ‘Terminator Genisys’ (2015) was financially successful. He followed that up with the massive hit ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015). The movie made more than US $682 million at the box-office. In 2016, he formed the gaming studio ‘Skydance Interactive’. The first VR game ‘Archangel’ was released on July 18, 2017, and ‘The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners’ is in development.
Ellison had a string of bad luck in movies with flops like ‘Star Trek Beyond’ (2016), ‘Baywatch’ (2017), and ‘Geostorm’ (2017). ‘Annihilation’ (2018) was critically praised but failed miserably at the box-office. However, David Ellison redeemed himself by delivering ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018). It was the highest-grossing movie of the series with a box-office haul of more than US $792 million. In 2018, he also produced hit series like ‘Altered Carbon’, ‘Dietland’, and ‘Jack Ryan’. His upcoming projects include the highly anticipated ‘Gemini Man’ (October 11, 2019), ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (November 1, 2019), and ‘Top Gun Maverick’ (June 26, 2020), to name a few. He is also producing the show ‘Foundation Series’ for ‘Apple’.
Controversies & Scandals
In January 2019, ‘Skydance Media’ hired John Lasseter to be the head of its animation division. Lasseter was fired from ‘Pixar’ for sexual harassment. David was forced to release a statement defending his decision and host a town hall.
Family & 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. His sister is movie producer, Megan Ellison (born January 31, 1986). He has been happily married to Sandra Lynn Modic’ since October 1, 2011.
Facts About David Ellison
David Ellison is known for his passion for aviation and owns an impressive collection of vintage aircraft.
In addition to his successful film production career, Ellison is also a skilled pilot and has logged numerous hours in the cockpit.
Ellison is a dedicated philanthropist and has supported various charitable causes, particularly those related to education and the arts.
Despite his busy schedule, Ellison makes time for his hobbies, which include scuba diving and mountain climbing.
Known for his innovative approach to filmmaking, Ellison has been praised for his willingness to take creative risks in the industry.
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