Michael Ireland Joining Warner Bros. as President of Production

Michael Ireland — a widely regarded Hollywood studio production executive who departed Paramount last year — has found his new home. And the irony couldn’t be richer — if not a ready-made script.

Warner Bros. announced to staff Thursday that Ireland has been named president of production at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group alongside current motion picture president Jesse Ehrman, who is likewise well regarded.

In August, Ireland was given no indication that he was going to be let go from Paramount when David Ellison closed his deal to buy the studio, insiders say. But on the first day the new regime arrived, Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein informed Ireland he was out.

Now, he’ll be working at the same studio that Ellison and his team, including Goldberg and Greenstein, are desperate to buy, and are in the midst of mounting an aggressive counter-attack after the Warner Bros. Discovery board went with the bid submitted by Netflix.

Ehrman shared the news of Ireland’s hire in staff in a memo. “Our vision is clear: to bring more stories to life than ever before, with 16+ theatrical releases annually that ignite imaginations worldwide,” Ehrman wrote. “This is not just about quantity— it’s about creating unforgettable experiences, building new franchises, and championing original voices that define the future of cinema.

In the note to staff, Ireland stated, “Joining Warner Bros. at this moment feels like being invited onto the 1927 Yankees — a team at the very top of its game. There is a real sense of purpose here and a shared belief in what great storytelling can do.”

The hiring comes after Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy’s turnaround year in 2025, with the studio notching wins on films such as A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Weapons and Conjuring: Last Rites.

Wrote the duo in a memo: “Under Jesse’s continued leadership as President of Production, and with Michael joining him as President of Production, we’re building on our momentum with projects that span beloved franchises and bold originals—from a sequel to Minecraft and new chapters of Wonka, Gremlins and Oceans, to visionary collaborations with Alejandro Iñárritu, J.J. Abrams, Jonah Hill and others.”

Ireland joined Paramount in 2020 after eight years at 20th Century Fox. At Paramount, he led film efforts with Daria Cercek, overseeing franchises such as Mission: Impossible,A Quiet Place,Scream andSonic the Hedgehog.