Paramount seeks to leave California amid dispute with state over Warner Bros. merger
Paramount has offered California regulators a consent decree to keep production in the state, but says the attorney general’s office has not engaged, prompting the studio to consider relocating.
Paramount Pictures has approached California Attorney General Rob Bonta with a proposal that would bind the company to produce 30 films a year, maintain a 45-day theatrical window and a 90-day streaming window, and keep its California facilities operational as part of its pending merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio says the plan would protect roughly $30 billion in annual content spending and preserve thousands of jobs in the state.
Company officials, including an adviser to owner David Ellison, have expressed frustration that Bonta’s office has not responded to the overtures, describing the regulatory environment as hostile. The adviser warned that a lawsuit from the state could compel Paramount to relocate.
"We continue to engage constructively with the remaining few regulators around the world still considering the merger, including State Attorneys General, and are prepared to address any legitimate antitrust issues," Paramount said in a statement, adding that dozens of antitrust authorities have reviewed the transaction without raising concerns.
Bonta declined to comment, but earlier indicated concern about potential job losses and price impacts. The disagreement comes as California has seen a shift of film production to other states and Canada, prompting industry leaders to argue that the combined Warner Bros.–Paramount entity would help retain employment in the region.
Analysts note that no antitrust objections have been raised by regulators in other jurisdictions, and that the dispute appears centered on the state’s willingness to negotiate the proposed commitments.