Cinema United Chief Michael O’Leary Blasts Paramount Warner Bros. Deal, Endorses Litigation to Delay Merger
The head of Cinema United is reiterating the lobbying organization’s opposition to Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger with Warner Bros., as well as the...
Key points
- The head of Cinema United is reiterating the lobbying organization’s opposition to Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger with Warner Bros., as well as the group’s support of litigation filed by state Attorneys General that has put the deal on hold.
- The Cinema United chief expressed skepticism about Paramount’s promise it will release 30 films annually after combining with Warner Bros.
- These are not Hollywood issues, they are Main Street issues, and we are committed to making them relevant not just for this transaction, but to the long-term future of this vital industry.” O’Leary said Cinema United’s executive board asked to speak with Paramount at CinemaCon, an annual convention for theater owners and studios that was held last spring, but its invitation was declined.
- “On July 1, after what Cinema United believed were additional constructive conversations with Paramount, we provided them with a comprehensive list of our concerns to move the discussions forward.
What happened
The head of Cinema United is reiterating the lobbying organization’s opposition to Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger with Warner Bros., as well as the group’s support of litigation filed by state Attorneys General that has put the deal on hold. The Cinema United chief expressed skepticism about Paramount’s promise it will release 30 films annually after combining with Warner Bros. These are not Hollywood issues, they are Main Street issues, and we are committed to making them relevant not just for this transaction, but to the long-term future of this vital industry.” O’Leary said Cinema United’s executive board asked to speak with Paramount at CinemaCon, an annual convention for theater owners and studios that was held last spring, but its invitation was declined. “On July 1, after what Cinema United believed were additional constructive conversations with Paramount, we provided them with a comprehensive list of our concerns to move the discussions forward. “We met with Cinema United in Washington in June and mutually committed to talking further to see if we could align on enforceable commitments related to two distinct items Cinema United requested. Despite Cinema United’s...
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