David Ellison and the leadership team at Paramount expected to spend much of the summer settling into new digs with Warner Bros. Discovery. A few weeks ago, they privately predicted the merger of the two media companies would be wrapped up by July or August at the latest. Instead, Ellison is bracing for a long
Of all the great cinematic narrative arcs, there’s something special about the return. Think “Rocky,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Natural.” A much maligned or dubious hero rises and triumphs against all odds. Goosebumps, all the time. The comeback saga rings very true for those in the film industry and those millions of movie buffs who
Just a few days ago, the states’ antitrust challenge to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger still seemed like a hurdle. Now, it’s looking more like a siege war, as Paramount has agreed to suspend the $111 million deal for at least several months. In doing so, Paramount’s lawyers have effectively admitted that they were unlikely to
A federal judge on Thursday extended the order blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger for an additional 14 days, meaning the deal cannot close before Aug. 18. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín is scheduled to hold a hearing on August 3 on a request for a preliminary injunction that would block the deal indefinitely. Paramount is requesting additional
David Ellison may have believed that Paramount Skydance could have closed its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by now. The deal was approved by the Justice Department in June (apparently over the objections of staff reviewing it). It has been officially cleared by the EU, and Paramount agreed to the relatively minor concession
A judge on Friday heard arguments on a state coalition’s request for a restraining order to stop the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and said she would issue a ruling next Wednesday. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín suggested at one point that Paramount had admitted it would suffer no harm if a temporary restraining order was granted, which
