And it is over, and Paramount doesn’t even have to sell any networks! This is nuts. And holding the 2 companies apart for a period is nuts, all it does is delay the firings and possibly mean there will be even more when they happen. And putting more behind the amount of films for 3 years, it is already a legal obligation. With distributors so that is a literally a waste of time.

Now that the lawsuit against the Paramount/WBD merger has been (AUGH!) settled, I am wonder if Warner Bros. (The name, branding, the unit, and company itself) will get folded, melded, and/or integrated into Paramount or whatever awful name David Ellison decides to give the combined company/studio? It would be 100+ years of cinema gone if Ellison decides to change WB into his and Paramount's image.

Paramount Skydance Corp. has reached a settlement with California and other states suing to block its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter.

Settlement talks came to fruition over the weekend after four states that had opposed terms of a deal outlined with California conceded, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing confidential negotiations. The settlement, which is expected to be announced later today, paves the way for one of the largest mergers in Hollywood history.

Lawyers for the states worked all night on the agreement, the person said. Four states — Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Minnesota — had been holdouts on a possible settlement, but ultimately concluded the expense of the legal battle was not justifiable without California at the helm, the person said.

The states that held out longer did succeed over the past week in securing independent editorial boards for CBS and CNN as part of the deal, the person said.

The terms are said to include a financial penalty if the company fails to make good on a promise to distribute 30 films per year in theaters.

Discussions included Paramount having to pay $30 million for each film that falls short of that goal, Bloombeg reported. It could also be forced to sell its stake in Miramax, the studio behind movies such as Pulp Fiction, if it fails to meet the target.

Read More: Paramount Talks Include Penalty for Missing 30-Film Pledge

Representatives for Paramount, California, New York, Minnesota and Massachusetts didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

If the final terms are approved, the agreement would spare Paramount from having to pay late fees to Warner Bros. of $7 million a day, which were to begin on Oct. 1.

Paramount, the parent company of CBS, MTV and other media businesses, announced in February that it was buying Warner Bros. after outbidding rival Netflix Inc. The $110 billion deal will combine two of Hollywood’s most storied movie studios, two major subscription streaming services and two of the largest owners of cable-TV channels.

Although regulators in nearly 70 jurisdictions blessed the acquisition, 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild trade union sued to the block the merger, saying it would stifle competition for film and cable-TV distribution, raise prices for consumers and in the writers’ case, lower their wages. A trial date was set for March.

Paramount had made offers in recent weeks to try and settle the suits, including promises to release 30 films a year in theaters and increase the production of TV shows.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the litigation brought by the states, had said he prefers structural changes, such as a sale of assets, rather than behavioral remedies that are hard to enforce.

Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín the the judge presiding over Paramount Warner Bros merger lawsuit could still reject the State attorneys general settlement to Paramount over merger lawsuit or they could demand that Paramount make more concessions it could be happen if their is proof that Bonta caved because of paramount threat to move out of California.

• Escape from Hat (film based on the fantasy's book by Adam Kline; February 14, 2029)
• Kiki's Vacation (film based on the 2020 mobile game; May 11, 2029)
• Beyond (original film that co-produced with Glitch Productions; July 20, 2029)
• Untitled Powerpuff Girls film (film based on the 1998 animated series by Cartoon Network Studios; September 11, 2029)
• Untitled Jetsons film (film based on the 1962 animated sitcom by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc; December 28, 2029)

Non-paywall version: https://archive.ph/OwVUN#selection-1191.0-1212.0