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Shari Redstone, the former chairwoman of Paramount Global, has taken on a new role as chair of Israeli film studio Sipur, a move that comes amid a growing Hollywood boycott of Israel’s film industry. Redstone, who stepped away from Paramount following its merger with Skydance earlier this year, has also invested in the company and signaled her intention to help expand its international reach.
Redstone’s appointment was announced Tuesday, with multiple outlets confirming that she will work alongside Sipur’s co-founders, CEO Emilio Schenker and producer Gideon Tadmor. Founded in 2019, Sipur—Hebrew for “story”—has gained recognition for backing projects such as the Emmy-winning documentary We Will Dance Again, which chronicles the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
In a statement to Variety, Redstone described her involvement as a “super opportunity,” praising Sipur’s vision to become “the first international production studio out of Israel.”
Her move follows her public acknowledgment that she wanted to leave Paramount not only because of the company’s merger but also to dedicate more time to pro-Israel activism. Speaking to The New York Times, she said: “I wanted to support Israel, and address issues around antisemitism and racism,” and added that she felt CBS News coverage of the Israel-Gaza war needed more balance.
Redstone’s decision comes against the backdrop of a significant boycott effort in Hollywood. Since September 8, more than 4,500 actors, directors, and film workers have signed an open letter pledging not to collaborate with Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The pledge includes boycotting festivals, broadcasters, cinemas, and production companies.
High-profile signatories include actors Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem, as well as directors Adam McKay, Ava DuVernay, and Yorgos Lanthimos. The letter, organized by the group Filmmakers for Palestine, asserts that Hollywood must answer the call of Palestinian filmmakers who have urged the industry to “end complicity in their oppression.”
Paramount, Redstone’s former company, became the first major studio to speak out against the boycott. In a statement, the studio argued: “Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.” Filmmakers for Palestine criticized that response, insisting the boycott targets institutions, not individuals.
Meanwhile, some Israeli filmmakers have pushed back against the boycott, warning it risks silencing Israeli anti-war voices. They note that several anti-war Israeli films are currently shortlisted for the country’s submission to the Academy Awards.
Shari Redstone’s shift from Paramount to Sipur marks a turning point in her family’s storied history with Hollywood. Her late father, Sumner Redstone, purchased Paramount in 1994, and her grandfather, Michael Redstone, founded National Amusements, the theater chain later absorbed into Paramount through the Skydance merger.
Redstone led Paramount as chairwoman from 2019 until its August merger with Skydance, which ended her family’s decades-long control of the company. Politics hovered over her tenure, including a high-profile lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against CBS News, alleging deceptive editing of an interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
Now, with her new post at Sipur, Redstone appears determined to use her industry influence to champion Israeli storytelling on the world stage—even as Hollywood itself becomes sharply divided over the issue.
