{"id":5526,"date":"2026-08-18T19:06:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T19:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5526"},"modified":"2026-08-18T19:06:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T19:06:06","slug":"movie-theater-owners-reverse-course-on-paramount-warner-bros-now-favor-settlement-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5526","title":{"rendered":"Movie Theater Owners Reverse Course On Paramount-Warner Bros, Now Favor Settlement Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nCinema United has had a change of heart on the prospect of a Paramount\u2013Warner Bros. Discovery merger.<\/p>\n

Read more No, Vecna Wasn\u2019t on Ozempic: How the \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 VFX Team Rebuilt Its Villain<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe movie theater trade organization previously cheered on 12 state attorneys general, including California\u2018s Rob Bonta, as they filed suit to block the merger of the two historic studios. But in a letter postmarked Tuesday, the organization changed course and called for both Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and Bonta to \u201cmeet in the immediate future and discuss all possible avenues for resolving\u201c the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe letter from Cinema United president and CEO Michael O\u2018Leary and Cinema United board chair Mike Bowers, the president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, was broad in its explanation of why the coalition, previously so fierce in its opposition to the mega-merger, was changing its tune. But they gestured to recent successes at the box office and fears that that momentum could slow in their explanation. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cToday, our industry has the wind at its back. Studio partners are creating and distributing extraordinary films. Audiences across generations are responding with enthusiasm,\u201d O\u2018Leary and Bowers wrote. \u201cBut none of that can be taken for granted. Global exhibition believes in a bold future for this industry, but reaching our full potential requires working together.\u201c<\/p>\n

\n\tThe leaders of the trade organization additionally expressed concern over the consequences that additional uncertainty about the future could mean for the entertainment business. \u201cFor many in our industry, the current environment is marked by disruption and uncertainty. That is why we believe that it is incumbent upon both of you to meet in good faith to discuss a resolution that would provide robust protections and serve the entire industry. In fact, it is the next logical step,\u201c they wrote.<\/p>\n

Read more Major Theater Chain Cinemark Also Signals It Wants California to Settle With Paramount<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tFour guardrails would give movie theaters reassurance about the deal, they wrote. One is a commitment to \u201cmaintain or expand\u201c the production of projects meant for theatrical release with a significant marketing and a period of theatrical exclusivity. Another is a promise that the consolidation will not result in \u201can increase in rental terms.\u201c Finally, the organization also called for safeguards that ensure movie theaters of all sizes can exhibit projects without onerous requirements from a combined company and that theaters can continue to access the film catalogs \u201cunder reasonable conditions and precedents\u201d of both Warner Bros. and Paramount.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn its gestures toward the potential ramifications of uncertainty in the marketplace, the Cinema United letter resembles a similar missive from the leaders of IATSE and the Directors Guild of America that was sent to Ellison and Bonta the previous week. In their letter, the Hollywood unions warned that the current schedule for the antitrust trial \u2014 set for March 2027 \u2014 could prove disastrous for industry workers already dealing with the effects of an industry contraction and runaway production.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe cannot overemphasize how damaging the current timeline for the trial \u2013\u00a0which would extend the uncertainty surrounding the proposed merger until the spring of next year at the\u00a0earliest\u00a0\u2013\u00a0is to an already struggling industry,\u201c the unions leaders wrote.<\/p>\n

Read more Yes, Sasha Calle Really Got to Drive the Chevy Corvette in \u2018Sugar\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\nMore to come.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cinema United reversed course and called for David Ellison and Rob Bonta to \u201cmeet in the immediate future\u201c and negotiate a settlement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3504,115,506],"class_list":["post-5526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting","tag-cinema-united","tag-paramount","tag-warner-bros-discovery"],"yoast_head":"\nMovie Theater Owners Reverse Course On Paramount-Warner Bros, Now Favor Settlement Talks - US Property Moves<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5526\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Movie Theater Owners Reverse Course On Paramount-Warner Bros, Now Favor Settlement Talks - US Property Moves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cinema United reversed course and called for David Ellison and Rob Bonta to \u201cmeet in the immediate future\u201c and negotiate a settlement.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5526\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"US Property Moves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-18T19:06:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/?p=5526#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/?p=5526\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f6dcb1ef8e64fe67b72b772b81aa822c\"},\"headline\":\"Movie Theater Owners Reverse Course On Paramount-Warner Bros, Now Favor Settlement Talks\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-18T19:06:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/?p=5526\"},\"wordCount\":562,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/?p=5526#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uspropertymoves.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/abc633823211fbbba40da23fae7f1f32.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"cinema united\",\"Paramount\",\"Warner Bros. 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