Hollywood Unions Call for Settlement in Paramount-WBD Antitrust Fight

Key Points:

• The Directors Guild of America (DGA) and IATSE have urged California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison to settle their pending antitrust case to avoid further harm to industry workers caused by delays.
• The unions highlight that productions are being paused or canceled amid uncertainty surrounding a March 2027 antitrust trial, exacerbating already limited job opportunities, especially in the Los Angeles area.
• They propose enforceable conditions in a binding agreement, such as keeping Paramount and Warner Bros. as separate studios, maintaining U.S.-based production levels, and ensuring Paramount remains headquartered in Los Angeles.
• This stance contrasts with other Hollywood unions like the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, which oppose the merger unless stronger safeguards are implemented, with some groups having sued to block the deal outright.
• The DGA and IATSE emphasize their goal is to protect a competitive marketplace that benefits both workers and consumers, believing that negotiated conditions can mitigate the merger’s negative impacts on their members.