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Paramount to Sit Down With California on Oct. 14 to Talk Settlement
hollywoodreporter.com • • business
Key Points:
- Paramount is scheduled to meet with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Writers Guild of America for two days starting October 14 to negotiate a settlement over lawsuits challenging its $111 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
- The talks follow a canceled meeting last month, which Bonta called off due to alleged leaks and misrepresentations by Paramount’s representatives.
- Both sides must submit briefs outlining their positions, key issues in dispute, and potential resolutions before the discussions, which will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson.
- Bonta insists on structural remedies, such as divestitures, while Paramount has only proposed behavioral concessions like releasing 30 movies with 45-day theatrical windows, indicating slow progress in negotiations.
- The government has requested the court to make the states and WGA pay for delays caused by their lawsuits, potentially requiring a $1.88 billion bond if Paramount prevails, labeling the states’ suit as a secondary enforcement action with specific limitations.
