Oregon Withdraws Motion to Delay $110 Billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The Oregon attorney general’s office has withdrawn a court motion that sought to delay Paramount's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. The state's Department of Justice said Friday it would reconsider its strategy after accusing Paramount of failing to comply with its investigation.

Oregon Considers Next Steps

In a statement to Reuters, the Oregon Department of Justice asserted that Paramount had made it clear they would not comply with an investigative demand for records. "We’re not going to let them waste Oregonians’ resources on these games," the department said. "We’ve withdrawn the motion to consider our next steps."

The motion, filed earlier in the week in a Multnomah County court, had asked for a 60-day delay in the transaction to allow the state to review documents. Oregon is seeking records related to Paramount's internal efforts to secure regulatory approval, code-named "Project Warrior," as well as its lobbying of the Trump administration.

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Broader Scrutiny Remains

Paramount had previously agreed not to close the deal before July 22 amid the state's review. A spokesperson for the company told Reuters, "We are pleased that the Oregon Attorney General has withdrawn its motion to delay this transaction," and described the merger as "lawful" and "pro-competitive."

Despite this development in Oregon, the megadeal continues to face significant headwinds. The proposed combination of two of Hollywood's four major studios has drawn sharp criticism from industry groups, including actors and writers, who fear widespread job losses. According to Reuters, other U.S. states are also scrutinizing the acquisition over competition concerns and could file lawsuits to block it as early as next week.