WGA sues Paramount, claiming Warner Bros. acquisition would take away jobs

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Set us as preferred The Writers Guild of America sued Paramount on Tuesday, alleging that the company’s planned $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros.Discovery violates federal antitrust law.The union said that with fewer competitors, the merged Paramount-Warner Bros.

Discovery business would be able to lower costs by reducing writers’ wages and work.“Writers will be paid less and have fewer employment opportunities,” the WGA said in its lawsuit.

The move comes a day after California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta led a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general who filed a federal lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance’s $111-billion merger with Warner Bros.Discovery.Bonta has separately asked a judge in San Francisco for a temporary restraining order to hold up the deal while his case is pending in court.“We feel we have a very strong case,” Bonta said Tuesday during a town hall meeting.

“This proposed merger will raise prices.It will lower quality.

It will reduce output.It will hurt the American people, and it’ll hurt the the economy and competition.” Hollywood Inc.

California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general expressed concern that the industry-reshaping deal could spell doom for movie theaters.The writers guild’s missive creates a second line of attack against tech scion David Ellison’s industry-reshaping deal.Ellison’s proposed merger has been moving closer to the finish line after securing approvals from the U.S.Justice Department and numerous other foreign governments.

President Trump, an ally of Ellison’s billionaire father Larry Ellison, favors the deal.David Ellison wants to close the deal by September to avoid a higher payout to Warner Bros.Discovery shareholders.A Paramount spokeswoman said the company is reviewing the lawsuit.

The proposed merger has sparked...