All articles tagged with #cinema united
California Attorney General Rob Bonta insists the Paramount-WBD merger requires 'robust structural remedies' to settle, rejecting behavioral pledges. Meanwhile, major theater chains like Cinemark and Cinema United have shifted support to the deal, urging a resolution before the March trial.
The three largest U.S. movie theater chains now support the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, prompting the industry's main trade group to reverse its opposition and call for settlement talks with California's Attorney General.
Cinemark has publicly endorsed the $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, joining AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas in supporting the deal. Simultaneously, the trade organization Cinema United, which previously opposed the merger, issued a letter urging Paramount CEO David Ellison and California Attorney General Rob Bonta to meet and negotiate a settlement. The shift follows Paramount’s offer to formalize commitments for 30 annual theatrical releases and specific release windows, though legal challenges from twelve state attorneys general remain unresolved ahead of a March 2027 trial.
Cinemark has officially endorsed the $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, joining AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas in supporting the deal. This unified front from the three largest U.S. exhibitors pressures the industry trade group, Cinema United, to shift from opposing the merger to urging a negotiated settlement. The shift follows Paramount’s commitment to written guarantees for 30 annual theatrical releases and minimum 45-day windows, aiming to resolve the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general before a March 2027 trial.
Movie theater owners are divided over Paramount's proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery: Cinema United opposes the deal and warns of fewer releases and weaker bargaining power, while AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas back the merger, risking a fracture in industry unity amid antitrust lawsuits and talk of guardrails and exclusive 45-day windows.
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.
Cinema United told the Senate that Netflix’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. would be economically and culturally catastrophic, forecasting fewer theatres, shorter release windows, lower revenue and jobs, and fewer films for moviegoers. They criticized Netflix’s stance on a 45-day exclusive theatrical window (shorter than the typical 90–100 days) and warned consolidation could place a single studio in control of a large share of domestic box office (potentially up to 40% if Paramount joined WB). Cinema United represents about 61,000 screens worldwide (roughly 31,000 in the U.S. and 30,000 abroad).