{
  "id": 9026548,
  "title": "Hollywood Reacts to the Paramount Merger Settlement: ‘Layoffs Will Follow’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/hollywood-reacts-to-the-paramount-merger-settlement-layoffs-will",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T22:28:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/deals-ma/paramount-merger-settlement-hollywood-reacts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hollywood erupted in dismay and shock upon learning of the Paramount merger settlement. Paramount and 12 state attorneys general reached an agreement, clearing the final hurdle for the $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. This news prompted swift reactions on social media, with former FTC commissioner Alvaro Bedoya condemning the deal. Bedoya warned that \"billionaires have yet again bribed, censored and bullied their way to the top,\" predicting that layoffs would follow and that jobs and contracts would be lost. Notable figures like Mark Ruffalo echoed these concerns, with Ruffalo criticizing the merger and Gavin Newsom's role in supporting it. The agreement includes commitments such as annual investments in domestic TV and film production and a requirement for a certain percentage of films to be independent and made in the U.S. However, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) expressed disappointment, stating that the merger would damage writers and the industry. Similarly, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and SAG-AFTRA acknowledged the agreement's positive aspects but disagreed with the union's support for it.",
  "summary": "\"Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies,\" Mark Ruffalo says The post Hollywood Reacts to the Paramount Merger Settlement: ‘Layoffs Will Follow’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}