For months, Hollywood has been guessing how Shari Redstone would play her cards to sell control of her once-sprawling Paramount Global empire. The potential breaking apart of a historic studio, the procession of suitors, the thousands of employees on edge and eventual inking of a multibillion-dollar agreement to merge Paramount with the relatively upstart Skydance Media founded by a deep-pocketed heir, David Ellison, has kept executives and producers wondering what's next (a " go-shop " window ending Aug. 21 is the next deadline).