We started writing about potential deals for Warner Bros. way back in the summer of 2025. More than a whole year has passed, and here we are, finally talking about closure of a deal that looked like Netflix until the Ellison’s crashed the party.
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin has signed off on the settlement agreement Paramount Skydance had to agree in order for several states to drop their objections to their purchase of Warner Bros for $111 billion.
It takes the form of a consent decree between Paramount, the states, and the Writers Guild of America, and it means the deal will be closed as soon as next week – Tuesday, October 6th.
As previously reported, under the agreement, Paramount and Warner Bros. must release at least 30 theatrical films a year for the first two years and 32 for the following three, while maintaining minimum numbers of wide and independent releases, and ensure that at least half of the films are produced or jointly produced by the combined company. They must also commit to keeping both studio complexes operational in Hollywood.
There is a penalty of $30 million per film if they miss the quota, and 45-day theatrical windows / 90-day SVOD window are also guaranteed. Miramax, VH1 and Comedy Central could be force-sold if they break the deal or renege on some other elements of the agreements, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It looks like this agreement has a five-year expiry on it.
Five years. About as long as it would take two major Hollywood studios to locate absolutely every element of their commercial and production operations to a single location in, say, Georgia, wouldn’t you agree?
