Top Theater Chief Vows to Fight Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Key Points:

• Cinema United chair Michael O’Leary strongly opposed David Ellison’s bid for Paramount-Skydance to merge with Warner Bros., warning that increased market concentration would harm theaters, consumers, and the entertainment ecosystem.
• O’Leary emphasized the importance of longer theatrical windows, advocating for at least a 45-day exclusive window to support movie theaters, citing Disney’s success with a 62-day window and NBCUniversal’s recent commitment to a 45-day window.
• His remarks followed a letter signed by over 1,000 Hollywood figures expressing "unequivocal opposition" to Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, highlighting widespread industry concern about consolidation.
• Motion Picture Association chair Charles Rivkin addressed AI’s potential and risks, stressing responsible development, and defended the voluntary movie ratings system after a dispute with Instagram over unauthorized use of PG-13 standards.
• Rivkin avoided commenting on the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal due to his role representing major studios but added humor about the political climate in Washington, D.C., during his CinemaCon speech.