“A market ceases to function when competition disappears. And it’s disappearing,” contends the comedy writer whose credits include ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Office,’ ‘Parks and Recreation’, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and many more.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has halted settlement discussions with Paramount, citing bad faith regarding the proposed $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
“Industries rarely suffer because too many people are willing to make sensible long-term investments. The greater danger comes when investment stops,” writes the owner of Phoenix Theatres.
The California governor said he was concerned about the state’s reputation and added that he takes CEO David Ellison’s threat to move companies out of California “seriously.”
On his latest Last Week Tonight episode, John Oliver delivered a scathing critique of DC Studios’ recent box-office disappointments, linking many of the failures to the leadership of co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Exhibition leaders including AMC, Cinemark, and Regal’s parent company Cineworld have signaled backing for a prospective merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, citing the need for stable studio slates and simplified distribution negotiations in a still-recovering box office landscape.
The mayor previously stated that she opposed the $111 billion merger deal unless jobs were preserved in the transaction.
As Mayor Karen Bass called for a quick resolution to the standoff, her rival in the 2026 elections, Nithya Raman, said the legal process should take its course.
A new report from The Direct indicates Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC superhero slate has recorded its sixth significant commercial failure since 2023, underscoring persistent challenges in translating iconic characters into theatrical wins.
The county’s own report projects that $1.26 billion in lost wages by workers is at stake as part of the overall hit.