Paramount threatens California exit as merger lawsuit drags on
What's next: The company wants a settlement by Oct. 1 as the antitrust trial is not scheduled until March 2027.
Paramount's new chief is threatening to move the studio out of California as the state's antitrust lawsuit continues to delay a merger involving Warner Bros. Puck News reported that CEO David Ellison is weighing a headquarters move to Georgia, Tennessee or Texas unless California Attorney General Rob Bonta negotiates a settlement by Oct. 1. The report said Ellison is in contact with multiple states and has drafted a five-year plan to shift most jobs out of California while keeping a Hollywood presence. Bonta rejected the pressure campaign, calling it another attempt to force the state to allow what he described as an illegal deal. He later signaled at a Politico conference that he was open to negotiations with Paramount.