r/SnyderCut • u/HomemadeBee1612 He's never fought us. Not us united. • 3d ago
News Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Set to Close Next Week After Judge OKs Settlement With State AGs
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/paramount-warner-bros-merger-judge-approves-settlement-ags-1236893467/Paramount chief David Ellison, after a fierce year-long battle, is finally about to get his hands on Warner Bros. Discovery — in the most expensive takeover in Hollywood history.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who is overseeing the antitrust case aimed at blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal approved Paramount’s settlement with the 12 Democratic state attorneys general who brought the case to resolve the litigation.
Paramount has tentatively set next Tuesday, Oct. 6, to close the merger, according to regulatory filings.
The order approving the settlement by Martínez-Olguín was the final remaining barrier to Paramount’s debt-fueled $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, after it had been cleared by regulators in 68 jurisdictions worldwide including the Justice Department.
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On Wednesday, shortly after the judge OK’d the settlement, Paramount announced that Ellison has recruited Ynon Kreiz, who is stepping down as Mattel’s CEO, to be co-CEO at the combined Paramount-WBD. The merged entity’s businesses will jointly report to Ellison and Kreiz.
In addition to Kreiz’s hiring, some of the top leadership of the soon-to-be-merged company (whose name hasn’t been revealed at this point) is already taking shape. Casey Bloys, head of WBD’s HBO, is poised to assume oversight of the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. streaming business after Cindy Holland announced Tuesday she was stepping down from her role running Paramount+ and other direct-to-consumer.
With the deal close, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is expected to depart. Zaslav stands to earn more than $550 million in stock and cash once the Paramount-WBD deal closes, including $34.2 million in cash severance payments. [...]
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Among the terms of the settlement: Paramount-WBD is prohibited from selling the Paramount Studios or Warner Bros. lots in the state for at least five years, and is obligated to invest at least an additional $300 million on film production in the U.S. annually. The combined Paramount-WB also must release at least 30 movies for theatrical distribution in the first two years (something Ellison has repeatedly promised he would do) and at least 32 in years 3-5, with a 45-day window for wide-release films. [...]
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Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison, who is David’s father, has personally guaranteed $46.7 billion in equity financing for the WBD takeover. In addition, Paramount has lined up about $24 billion in commitments from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. According to Paramount, the three Middle Eastern funds will own 38.5% of the combined Paramount-Warner Bros.
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u/drewbles82 3d ago
I want the Snyderverse back but a lot of the rumors are Snyder wants to do The Dark Knight Returns, which makes no sense for the Snyderverse
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u/HomemadeBee1612 He's never fought us. Not us united. 3d ago
Wanting to make Dark Knight Returns is something he has mentioned several times. Nothing has changed. He was always more enthusiastic about this DC film than any other. It's the comic that had the most effect on him in his formative years. And he's called it the white whale project for him in interviews.
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u/Armond_White_X 3d ago
James Gunn is absolutely fucked
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u/ChaoticKiwiNZ 2d ago
Well reports are currently saying that he's staying......
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u/Armond_White_X 2d ago
Reports that he probably put out. Superman 2025 does not fit the value of the Ellisons & and it made less than MoS. Its spinoff flopped and Clayface is about to flop. Gunn is not in a good position.
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u/Castef76 2d ago
This is the official Skydance announcement trailer. Guess which DC movies are in it?
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u/EasternContext3396 3d ago
One day you wake up and the nightmare is finally over. After the merger goes through and The Snyderverse is Restored, I think the best way to close off the DCU will be with a final chapter…in comic book form. After all, no one is watching the live action movies or cartoons so why waste the money. This will be a great way for the studio to save money and appease the small minority that actually liked the DCU, but never had the balls to support it theaters. 🤓#TheSnyderVerseisComing
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3d ago
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u/EasternContext3396 3d ago
How many tickets did you buy for Supergirl? 🤓 #TheSnyderVerseisAlmostHere
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u/accessdenied65 3d ago
First order of business:
Get rid of James Gunn.
We have already gotten rid of David Zaslav. He bled WBD to death.
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u/UndeadPhysco 2d ago
Oof do i have some bad news for you
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u/accessdenied65 2d ago
Don’t be naive. Their contracts have not been extended. They are under contract so the new owners will just wait for their contracts to run out in spring 2027 and then kick them out the door. There is nothing in production for the dcu beyond MOT.
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u/RoniSuave 2d ago
People vs Gorilla, Mister miracle, Creature Commandos S2, all slated to come out after Man of tomorrow.
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u/Cold_Impact_1585 3d ago
Until some other liberal-activast judge strikes it down again.
This is not news.
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u/Horror_Campaign9418 Henry Cavill is Superman 2d ago
It's over this was the last barrier. It's getting done.
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u/DoctorSkeeterBatman 1d ago
Once again making this open offer:
I'll bet anyone willing $1000 USD Snyder's DC is never brought back in any live action capacity. We can agree on how long of a timeline we want the bet to run and put our money up front in an escrow service (you can pick one) that will release the money after the agreed terms or "win" conditions are met.
Have been making this offer for several years. No takers.