Paramount and California AG to Hold Two-Day Settlement Conference in October

Paramount Pictures and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are scheduled to hold a two-day, in-person settlement conference at the end of October, according to a directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson. The parties must confirm the exact dates with the judge’s clerk by September 15.

The conference, which will also involve the Writers Guild of America, is intended to explore a possible resolution of the state’s lawsuit challenging Paramount’s $111 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The meeting is described as introductory, with no guarantee that substantive agreement will be reached.

Attorney General Bonta has indicated that any settlement would need to include structural remedies, such as divestitures of parts of the combined company. Paramount has so far offered behavioral concessions, including a commitment to release at least 30 films with 45-day theatrical windows.

Last month, Bonta cancelled a scheduled meeting with Paramount, alleging that the studio had leaked and misrepresented details of a prior discussion. Paramount denied the allegation and said it had not shared confidential information, emphasizing its readiness to negotiate.

The settlement talks come as a daily penalty of roughly $7 million begins to accrue, and state officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, have expressed a desire to resolve the dispute before it proceeds to trial next year.