Barry Diller’s Memoir Sheds Light on Hollywood Power Struggles Amid Paramount-Skydance Turmoil
While studios typically celebrate box office triumphs, Paramount finds itself entangled in ambiguity, even amid the $400 million global success of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Produced by Skydance Films and distributed by Paramount, the franchise hit is now overshadowed by Skydance’s controversial efforts to acquire the very studio it partnered with.
At the center of this real-life drama lies David Ellison, son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, whose acquisition ambitions are confronting a power structure deeply tied to Paramount’s history. The looming shadow of Shari Redstone, daughter of the late Sumner Redstone and Paramount’s majority shareholder, adds another layer of dynastic tension to the ongoing corporate saga.
This turmoil echoes past Hollywood power plays, notably those involving Barry Diller, the former Paramount chief whose storied rise and many clashes across Fox, Universal, Vivendi, and beyond, are now revisited in his new memoir, Who Knew. The book explores decades of insider drama, betrayal, and reinvention at the highest levels of the entertainment industry.
A Candid Look at a Complex Legacy
In Who Knew, Diller details his abrupt initiation into the movie business, his hiring of Michael Eisner, and his belief that studios had become too reliant on legacy auteurs. His strategy shifted Paramount’s focus to commercially successful hits like Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance, though he later reversed course with prestige projects like Reds.
He recalls the ferocious temperament of Charles Bluhdorn, then owner of Paramount, and the destructive power struggles between studio figures like Bob Evans and Frank Yablans—the very environment that once drove Diller’s associates to resign. After Bluhdorn’s death, Diller moved to Fox under Marvin Davis, and later navigated the volatile leadership of Rupert Murdoch, all while confronting antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ sentiments he attributes to media rivals—claims some, including Ted Turner, have denied.
Personal Reinvention and Tech Success
Beyond the boardrooms, the memoir explores Diller’s personal transformation, including his evolving relationship with designer Diane von Furstenberg, whom he eventually married in 2001. It also showcases his pivot to the tech world with ventures like QVC and Expedia, and his philanthropic vision through projects like New York’s High Line and his public arts space, Little Island.
Despite his immense influence, Diller confesses to feeling like an “employee” rather than a true owner—a sentiment he shares with the Ellison family, whose wealth stems from the tech sector, not Hollywood.
Echoes of the Past in the Present
As Skydance’s attempted acquisition of Paramount faces internal resistance and regulatory scrutiny, parallels emerge between Ellison’s current challenges and Diller’s historic battles with the Redstones. The struggle for control, legacy, and identity continues to define the fate of iconic institutions like CBS and 60 Minutes, both of which could be impacted by the deal’s outcome.
Through Who Knew, Barry Diller offers more than a memoir; he provides a rare window into the enduring power dynamics that continue to shape Hollywood’s present and future.
