At Paramount, tensions build over Israel

CEO Ellison's stance, including his embrace of Oct. 7 drama 'Red Alert,' draws criticism.

- BY MEG JAMES AND STACY PERMAN

HOLLYWOOD is deeply divided over the Israel-Hamas war. Last month, Paramount condemned an open letter in support of Palestinians.

(BRIAN VAN DER BRUG Los Angeles Times)

About 200 people gathered on Paramount's Melrose Avenue lot for a screening of "Red Alert," a four-part scripted drama portraying the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel from the perspective of six victims.

The host of the Sept. 30 event was Paramount Chair and Chief Executive David Ellison, who shared how he had chatted with Academy Award-nominated producer Lawrence Bender a few weeks earlier at a memorial service for legendary Hollywood power broker Skip Brittenham. That's where Ellison learned that Bender's Israeli-backed series, "Red Alert," needed a home in the United States.

Ellison quickly volunteered. "It was a fast 'yes,'" he told the group.

On Tuesday, "Red Alert" premiered on the company's streaming service, Paramount+, marking the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The initial Hamas assault left about 1,200 Israelis dead, and more than 250 were kidnapped.

The high-profile project comes two months after Ellison assumed control of Paramount in an $8-billion buyout by his family, led by billionaire and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, and private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners.

Since the deal closed Aug. 7, David Ellison has moved to position the company slightly right of the political center, while also taking on polarizing issues. The scion has been unafraid to challenge those in Hollywood who have called for a boycott of Israel.

More than two years after the Oct. 7 attack, a deep divide remains in Hollywood over the subsequent Israel-Hamas war.