Prominent Hollywood opponents of the merger blasted the settlement Monday after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 11 other state attorneys general settled their antitrust lawsuit against Paramount Skydance Corp., clearing the way for its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Actor Mark Ruffalo, one of the merger’s most vocal opponents, reacted within hours of the announcement. “Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies,” Mr. Ruffalo wrote on X, blaming California’s governor for pushing the state toward a settlement.
Jane Fonda, founder of the Committee for the First Amendment, said she was “sickened” after reviewing the settlement’s terms. Invoking her late ex-husband, CNN founder Ted Turner, Ms. Fonda wrote, “I’m glad Ted isn’t here to witness the destruction of his unique and important creation.”
Former Biden-era Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya framed the deal as a case study in corporate influence.
“Today, billionaires have yet again bribed, censored and bullied their way to the top,” Mr. Bedoya wrote, predicting layoffs across the industry as a result.
Screenwriter Will Landman took a cruder tack, calling Mr. Bonta a “f——-g coward” for agreeing to the settlement rather than continuing to fight the merger in court.
Not every industry voice was critical. AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron, who has backed the merger since Paramount agreed to production commitments in April, celebrated the outcome.
“Today was an important day in the history of Hollywood,” Mr. Aron wrote, citing Paramount’s pledge to release at least 30 films annually.
The settlement requires Paramount to invest $1.5 billion more in domestic film production over five years than it spent in 2025 and to release 30 to 32 films a year through 2031; if it misses those output targets, the company must divest Miramax Studios and pay $30 million per missed film, split between union trust funds and antitrust enforcement. A federal judge has yet to formally approve the deal.
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