Theaters Wage Capitol Hill Campaign to Block Paramount-Warner Merger

Cinema United says it will press Capitol Hill lawmakers, the DOJ, and state attorneys general to block Paramount’s bid to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, warning that a Paramount–WBD merger could consolidate as much as 40% of domestic box office and reduce yearly film releases. The push follows Netflix’s retreat from its Warner bid, shifting scrutiny to Ellison’s pursuit of both studios, as regulators including California’s attorney general review the deal and exhibitors fear heightened market concentration and diminished competition in Hollywood.