Paramount Pictures is threatening to leave Hollywood, where it has been based for nearly 100 years, due to a legal dispute over its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery. California officials are deadlocked in an anti-trust lawsuit against the merger, prompting CEO David Ellison to warn of the studio’s departure unless state officials drop their opposition by an October 1 deadline. The potential move could result in job losses ranging from 28,990 to 57,988 full-time positions and a loss of between $10.6 billion and $21.2 billion annually to California's economy.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
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Paramount execs are 'deadly serious' about leaving California as the company remains deadlocked with the state over its pending billion dollar merger.
CEO David Ellison threatened to ditch Paramount's Hollywood home of nearly 100 years unless state officials drop an anti-trust lawsuit to block their merger with Warner Bros Discovery.
The studio appeared to take more concrete steps toward moving on Wednesday, as an October 1 deadline for Ellison to reach an agreement rapidly approaches.
asserted
Ellison → see → agreement
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and state Attorney General Rob Bonta were among those informed that a deposit had already been put down on moving trucks, Deadline reported.
asserted
Deadline → inform → trucks
Bass and the attorney general told TMZ that Paramount has been preparing to declare their departure on Tuesday - but the announcement never occurred.
asserted
announcement → tell → Tuesday
Paramount's fight with the state comes after Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit opposing the $110 billion merger with Warner Bros.
As a response, sources within the studio told Deadline that the company was 'deadly serious' about departing the Golden State.
asserted
company → come → State
Bonta slammed the studio for threatening 'blackmail' in an attempt to sway the public in favor of the merger over the past few months.
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Bonta → slam → months
Paramount's departure from Hollywood would cause a devastating economic blow to the state, leaving thousands without jobs.
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departure → cause → jobs
Sources within Paramount said the company was 'deadly serious' over its threats to leave Hollywood, risking a devastating economic blow to the state and leaving thousands without jobs
David Ellison, the iconic movie studio's CEO, threatened to abandon their Hollywood home of around 100 years if state official's didn't abandon their anti-trust suit attempting to block the company's merger with Warner Bros Discovery
Paramount's move could result in the loss of 28,990 to 57,9880 full-time jobs.
uncertain
move → say → jobs
The state is also at risk of losing between $10.6 billion and $21.2 billion in annual economic output
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and state Attorney General Rob Bonta were among those informed that a deposit had already been put down on moving trucks, sources said
A report by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp's Institute for Applied Economics obtained by Politico found that Paramount's move could result in the loss of 28,990 to 57,9880 full-time jobs.
uncertain
move → lose → jobs
The state is also at risk of losing between $10.6 billion and $21.2 billion in annual economic output.
asserted
state → lose → output
State and local tax revenue may also drop by around $585 million to $1.17 billion per year.
uncertain
revenue → drop → year
While Bonta told the outlet they would not comment on Paramount's plans, he said: 'It’s no secret that Paramount has been making this threat, despite its alleged commitment to California and Hollywood.'
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Paramount → tell → California
'What Paramount decides to do is Paramount’s choice alone.
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decides → decide → What
We’ll continue to apply the law without fear or favor and continue to be open to coming to the table for good faith discussions,' the attorney general added.
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general → continue → discussions
State GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told the California Post that Bonta 'wants to play antitrust crusader while California jobs hang in the balance.
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jobs → tell → balance
'If Paramount walks and thousands of jobs go with it, he won't get to blame Hollywood, the buck stops with him.
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buck → walk → him
,' she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
But Bonta said that Paramount was being unreasonable during negotiations, according to TMZ.
uncertain
Paramount → say → TMZ
With no deal on the table, Ellison threatened to move Paramount to Texas, Georgia or Tennessee by October 1.
asserted
Ellison → threaten → October
Paramount's fight with the state comes after Bonta, pictured, 11 other state attorneys general, filed an anti-trust lawsuit opposing the movie studio's $110 billion merger with Warner Bros
With no deal on the table, Ellison threatened to move Paramount to Texas, Georgia or Tennessee by October 1
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Ellison → come → October
A spokesperson for City Hall told Deadline that the mayor has been 'focused on protecting and fighting for jobs in LA, including critical jobs in the entertainment industry that have been a vital part of Los Angeles' economy'
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that → tell → economy
Bonta slammed the studio for threatening 'blackmail' to sway the public in favor of the merger over the past few months
asserted
Bonta → slam → months
A spokesperson for City Hall told Deadline that the mayor has been 'focused on protecting and fighting for jobs in LA, including critical jobs in the entertainment industry that have been a vital part of Los Angeles' economy.
asserted
that → tell → economy
'She’s been engaged on this issue and will continue to fight to make sure LA is home to Hollywood,' the mayor's office continued.
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office → engage → Hollywood
Paramount's exit from California joins the trove of companies seeking to relocate from the blue state.
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exit → join → state
The likes of KB Home, Chevron, Charles Schwab, Oracle, Palantir and many more have already made their exits, as well as Elon Musk's Tesla, SpaceX and X.
All of those businesses, other than SpaceX and X which are not currently publicly traded, have market caps in the hundreds of billions of dollars, or even north of one trillion dollars in the case of Tesla.
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which → make → Tesla
Thiel's decision to abandon California and move Palantir first to Colorado and then Florida came in response to last year's 'billionaire tax' threat.
Charles Schwab's departure for Texas cited the high cost of doing business in California as a major factor in their decision to leave.
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departure → abandon → decision
The Daily Mail reached out to Mayor Bass's Office, Attorney General Bonta and Paramount for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
The Aporia
