Ellison's $110B Warner-Paramount Merger: Jobs, Prices, & Creativity at Stake

0:00Warner Brothers Discovery shareholders just greenlit a $110 billion merger with Paramount and Skydance. If regulators sign off, David Ellison, son of Oracle's Larry Ellison, takes the reins at Warner Brothers Studio, plus CNN, HBO, and all their streaming. Services. Ellison's been hitting the road to calm nerves, pitching ad execs on Madison Avenue, and promising 30 movies a year from the combined studios at CinemaCon last week. AMC CEO Adam Aaron jumped on board, praising Ellison's movie passion, and producer Jerry Brookheimer called it a done deal. Hollywood Split, though, over 4,000 directors, actors, and writers, signed a letter against it, with stars like Kristen Stewart and Mark. Ruffalo warning of fewer jobs, higher prices, and less variety for fans. They worry it'll stifle creativity and hand too much power to the Ellison family. Shareholders also shot down exec pay packages, and an advisory vote, spotlighting a potential nearly $900 million dollar payout for CEO David.

1:04Zestlove. Critics like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer are pushing the FCC for deep-screwed knee over antitrust issues and foreign cash from places like Saudi Arabia. California's Attorney General is probing for violations, but if it clears federal and global hurdles, paramount eyes are closed by September 30th. Ellison's even hosting a Trump dinner in DC tonight, keeping the buzz alive as regulators weigh in. That's the story for today. California News Today, Driven by AI.