California is one of 12 states filing a lawsuit to block the merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount, officials announced Monday.
The merger would combine two of Hollywood’s biggest studios into a single powerhouse. A press release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the new combined company would control nearly one-third of all movie theater films and basic cable channels in the U.S.
Officials say this would cause “substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide.”
The lawsuit claims the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which makes mergers illegal if they lessen competition or try to create a monopoly. If the studios do not agree to pause the deal until the lawsuit is settled, the states plan to file a temporary restraining order to stop it.
The states joining California in the lawsuit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington.
FOX 11 Los Angeles reporter Rachel Aragon joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall with more details.
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