David Ellison

This article is about the American producer. For the British actor, see David Ellison (British actor).

David Ellison (born January 9, 1983) is an American film producer, former actor, and the founder and CEO of Skydance Media. He is the son of multibillionaire and Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison.

David Ellison
Born	(1983-01-09) January 9, 1983 (age 42) Santa Clara County, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation(s)	Film producer, actor
Years active	2005–present
Title	Founder and CEO, Skydance Media
Spouse	Sandra Lynn Modic ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	2
Parents	Larry Ellison (father) Barbara Boothe (mother)
Family	Megan Ellison (sister)

Early life and education

David Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Oracle Corporation co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison, and his ex-wife, Barbara Boothe Ellison. His father is of Italian and Jewish heritage.^[1] Ellison grew in Woodside, California with his mother who nurtured his love for film.^[2] He attended the University of Southern California, but dropped out of its film school in 2005 to make his first movie Flyboys.^[3][4] David Ellison was influenced by businessman Steve Jobs, a friend of his father, and pitched Jobs his idea for Skydance Media before revising it under Jobs' advice.^[2] He has one sister, film producer Megan Ellison, who founded Annapurna Pictures.^[1]

Career

Ellison is the CEO and founder of Skydance Media. The company's films include Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Annihilation, World War Z, True Grit, Jack Reacher, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond. Ellison was named to Variety's Dealmaker list for 2010^[5] and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2011.^[6]

As an actor, Ellison has performed in the films Flyboys, Little Fish, Strange Pond and Hole in One.

Ellison's company Skydance Media expanded in 2013 with the launch of its television division. He has executive produced shows such as Altered Carbon, and Grace and Frankie.

In 2014, Ellison launched a new line of men's clothing, called the "LANAI Collection."^[7]

In 2017, Ellison helped launch Skydance Animation in partnership with Spain's Ilion Animation Studios.^[8]

In 2018, he announced that Skydance Media had partnered with Tencent Holdings Limited.^[9]

In January 2024, it was reported that Ellison was interested in merging Skydance Media with Paramount Global and buying the latter's parent company National Amusements from Shari Redstone.^[10]

Personal life

Ellison is a licensed pilot with instrument ratings for helicopter aviation, aerobatics, commercial aviation, fixed-wing aircraft, and multi-engine aircraft. In 2003, aged 20, he was selected to perform as part of Sean D. Tucker's "Stars of Tomorrow" aerobatic team at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.^[11]

Ellison is a member of the Producers Guild of America and Television Academy.^[12]

He married Sandra Lynn Modic, an actress and singer, on October 1, 2011, in Palm Springs, California.^[13] The couple has two children.^[14]

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

• Flyboys (2006) (Uncredited)
• True Grit (2010)
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
• The Guilt Trip (2012)
• Jack Reacher (2012)
• G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• World War Z (2013)
• Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
• Baywatch (2017)
• Annihilation (2018)
• Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
• Without Remorse (2021)
• Snake Eyes (2021)
• Blush (2021)
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
• Star Trek 4 (TBA)

Producer

• Terminator Genisys (2015)
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
• Life (2017)
• Geostorm (2017)
• Gemini Man (2019)
• Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
• 6 Underground (2019)
• The Old Guard (2020)
• The Tomorrow War (2021)
• The Adam Project (2022)
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
• Luck (2022)
• The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
• Air (2023)
• Ghosted (2023)
• Kelce (2023)
• Heart of Stone (2023)
• Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023)
• Spellbound (2024)
• The Gorge (2025)
• The Old Guard 2 (2025)
• Fountain of Youth (2025)
• Pookoo (2025)
• Mayday (TBA)
• Matchbox (TBA)
• The Family Plan 2 (TBA)
• Ray Gunn (TBA)
• Untitled Jack and the Beanstalk project (TBA)
• Untitled Skydance Animation/Don Hall project (TBA)

Actor

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2005	The Chumscrubber	Student #1
	When All Else Fails	Mike Williams	Short film
2006	Flyboys	Eddie Beagle
2009	Hole in One	Tyler Hayden
	Little Fish, Strange Pond	Romeo	Direct-to-video

Director

Year	Film	Notes
2005	When All Else Fails	Short film

Writer

Year	Film	Notes
2005	When All Else Fails	Short film

Thanks

Year	Film	Notes
2013	Phantom	Special thanks

Television

Executive producer

• Manhattan (2014−15)
• Ten Days in the Valley (2017)
• Grace and Frankie (2015−18)
• Dietland (2018)
• Condor (2018–2020)
• Altered Carbon (2018−19)
• Jack Ryan (2018−2023)
• Foundation (2021–present)
• Reacher (2022–present)
• Good Rivals (2022)
• The Checkup with Dr. David Agus (2022)
• The Big Door Prize (2023)
• FUBAR (2023)
• WondLa (2024)
• Terminator: The Anime Series (TBA)
• Neuromancer (TBA)
• Ring Shout (TBA)
• Cross (TBA)
• Hotel del Luna (TBA)

Actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Blank Slate	Blake Feltzer	Television film
2010	Leverage	Ballard