What happens this weekend will decide whether state attorneys general accept a Paramount settlement that alters the legal path for the Warner Bros. Discovery merger ahead of the federal antitrust trial set for March 2, 2027, and actor Mark Ruffalo publicly pushed California Attorney General Rob Bonta to reject any deal.
The four-time Oscar nominee used X on Saturday to tell Bonta to "reject the deal," sharing a petition from Block the Merger and pointing to industry opposition. Ruffalo wrote, "Don't you dare @AGRobBonta, do not cave. 5670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks." He added, "Please sign to send a message to the AGs and Paramount. Reject the deal. The people don't want it!"
Ruffalo then urged local action, saying he believed Bonta "is about to cave" and asking Bay Area supporters, "Can you show up outside his AG office in Oakland tomorrow at 5pm to reject this backroom deal?" The call for an in-person protest turns a social media campaign into direct pressure on the state attorney general's office.
Block the Merger, which Ruffalo has backed, says thousands of industry figures risked public criticism by opposing concessions and that more than 75,000 people have joined its petition. The group listed supporters including Bryan Cranston, Hannah Einbinder, Jane Fonda, Noah Wyle, Denis Villeneuve and Sofia Coppola, and noted national figures such as Elizabeth Warren have urged state attorneys general to block the merger without offering concessions.
Late Friday, reports began circulating that state attorneys general, with California’s Rob Bonta prominent among them, were in talks with Paramount over a potential settlement. Bonta’s office did not respond to a request for comment on those negotiations. The public pressure from well-known artists and mass petitions now joins whatever legal leverage the AGs bring as they meet with Paramount representatives.
The immediate milestones are the weekend sessions and any settlement announcement that may follow. Those outcomes will determine whether the parties move toward a negotiated resolution or preserve the plaintiffs' route to trial on March 2, 2027, where federal judges will consider the antitrust challenge to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
