Paramount's $110B Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Nears DOJ Approval

U.S. antitrust officials at the Justice Department held a two‑hour meeting in which Paramount CEO David Ellison reiterated his commitment to theatrical releases and argued that the proposed $110 billion Paramount‑Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would not harm other studios or creative talent. DOJ staff, including acting antitrust chief Omeed Assefi, appeared receptive to the arguments, though the review remains open and could change.

Documentary filmmakers Laura Poitras and Geeta Gandbhir publicly warned that the merger would be “deeply problematic on absolutely every level” for the documentary community. They cited concerns about reduced editorial independence, limited access to CNN and CBS archives, and a broader trend of media consolidation that narrows voices and limits funding for independent documentary projects. Their remarks were issued during a press call organized by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and supported by a letter signed by more than 1,000 Hollywood figures.

Both the DOJ review and the filmmaker opposition highlight the high stakes of the merger for the U.S. media landscape, encompassing antitrust considerations and the future of independent documentary filmmaking.