Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Sunday that California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance are in advanced talks that could substitute behavioral commitments for structural divestitures in the 12‑state antitrust case.
- Reported terms include a temporary "hold separate" to run Warner and Paramount studios apart, an independent editorial adviser for news networks, and output guarantees such as roughly 30 films a year with defined theatrical windows.
- The talks increase pressure from a looming ticking fee that begins in early October and a Sept. 24 bond hearing, both of which raise the financial stakes for Paramount and create an incentive to settle quickly.
- Unions, industry activists and high‑profile figures including Mark Ruffalo and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are publicly urging state AGs to reject any deal they view as unenforceable, and some state attorneys general are reported to oppose a settlement.
- The litigation remains scheduled for a March 2027 trial, the Writers Guild of America has its own separate suit and is not part of reported talks, and any agreement would still face questions about uniform enforcement across the 12‑state coalition.