A report says California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom is worried over job loss in his state if the lawsuit filed by his own Attorney General is successful at stopping the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, and he has urged Rob Bonta to settle out of court and end his lawsuit.
Radical, left-wing AG Rob Bonta is leading a coalition of 12 deep blue states in trying to stop the proposed merger claiming that the $111 billion plan is detrimental to the entertainment industry and the freedom of choice of consumers. But a new report by the Wall Street Journal says that Gov. Newsom — who is angling to run for the Democrat nomination for president in 2028 — is worried that if Paramount is stymied by Bonta’s lawsuit, Warner Bros. will shed thousands of jobs, or even completely shut down altogether. The massive loss of jobs just before the 2028 election would look very bad for Newsom.
Consequently, Newsom has reportedly asked Bonta to change his track on the lawsuit. The Journal reported that “Newsom’s office has encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which has independent authority to file such suits, to find a resolution out of court.”
In his lawsuit, Bonta asserts that “There is no debate here: This merger will snuff out competition, drive up prices, diminish content quality, and produce fewer movies and shows each year.”
Joining California in the suit are the states of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington.
While Bonta’s suit is the biggest move to halt the merger, there are other suits in the works, as well, including one filed by the Writers Guild of America, which is also trying to head off the merger.
Despite the lawsuits, though, officials in both the U.S. and Europe have given the greenlight to the merger, saying that the plans pass their regulatory hurdles.
Still, Paramount agreed to temporarily pause the merger while Bonta’s lawsuit makes its way through the courts.
Three Marvel superhero film actors also recently spoke out against the merger in the U.K., where regulators are still considering the deal.
Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong joined together in an open letter to urge regulators in the U.K. to reject the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery claiming that the deal “threatens to inflict immense harm on the British public.”
The actors claim that the merger will result in fewer films, canceled productions, and a tendency to avoid taking on risky projects. They insist that the decision over approving the deal will “prove one of the most important decisions any culture secretary has taken for UK film, television and media in a generation,” referring to U.K. culture minister Lisa Nandy who has the responsibility to OK the merger.
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