Paramount’s WBD Takeover Bid Goes Abroad

David Ellison’s war against the Netflix bid for Warner Bros. Discovery has moved to Europe.

The Paramount-Skydance owner and others at the studio are meeting political leaders and entertainment figures in an effort to rally support for his $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

That includes French President Emmanuel Macron and meetings at the European Commission. Regulators in Europe and the U.S. continue to scrutinise the deal and Ellison is hoping to find allies.

The trip comes as a Delaware Chancery Court judge rejected Paramount Skydance’s attempt to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery in an effort to get them to disclose financial details of the $83 billion Netflix deal.

While Ellison stressed how committed to the theatrical experience he was, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is doing the same.

Speaking with The New York Times, Sarandos says that they will keep 45-day theatrical windows for Warner Bros movies if the sale goes through: “If we’re going to be in the theatrical business… we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.”

Source: Variety