Fort Worth has spent the past year turning into a production town. The company at the center of much of that work is now threatening to leave California.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison told senior executives he is prepared to move the company's operations out of California as soon as October if its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery does not close by Sept. 30, Variety reported. An antitrust case brought by 12 states is the last obstacle to that deal.
The terms of the standoff
If California Attorney General Rob Bonta does not agree to negotiate a settlement by the end of September, the exit process begins Oct. 1, and Ellison said the Paramount Skydance board has approved it, according to Variety.
He cited cost, telling his team the company needs a state with lower taxes and friendlier business policies, and suggested Paramount would consider selling its Los Angeles studio lots.
Bonta rejected the pressure publicly, calling the move an "attempt to blackmail the state into letting an illegal deal through" and writing that "Paramount has lost the plot as it continues to lose in court." Paramount declined to comment. The company has not chosen a destination; Variety reported it is weighing Georgia, Texas and Tennessee.
What is already happening here
Texas did not become a contender by accident. Senate Bill 22 took effect Sept. 1, 2025, committing about $1.5 billion over ten years and offering rebates up to 31% for productions that shoot primarily in the state with local crews. Mayor Mattie Parker advocated for the incentive in Austin.
