Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 4hDavid Zaslav’s WBD stock and equity awards were worth about $606 million when Paramount’s acquisition closed, according to a new SEC filing. Most of that came from in-the-money stock options. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 7hI asked if they were changing the name to Skydance Shoe Repair. The cobbler just stared at me like I’d lost my mind. (Seen a few blocks from the studio.) 020
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 10hSony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman, whose studio made “The Social Reckoning,” expects Silicon Valley to shrug off the fall’s films portraying Big Tech as the villain. “I do not expect that they give a fuck,” he said. More: www.politico.com/news/2026/10...politico.comHollywood tears into Big Tech“There is a fundamental feeling — a widespread feeling among most people — that these mega-gigantic tech companies don't really care about them,” Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman told POLITICO. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026California awarded tax credits to 35 new film projects — including Ice Cube’s "Last Friday" and 28 indies — that the state says will generate $1.08 billion in production spending and 5,453 cast and crew jobs. The slate also includes movies from Pixar, Warner Bros. and Paramount. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Hollywood has a new villain: Big Tech. Zuckerberg, Musk, Altman and Holmes are the subjects of new films — but taking on Silicon Valley gets complicated when studios do business with it. I spoke with Tom Rothman, Aaron Sorkin and others about these new bad guys: www.politico.com/news/2026/10...politico.comHollywood tears into Big Tech“There is a fundamental feeling — a widespread feeling among most people — that these mega-gigantic tech companies don't really care about them,” Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman told POLITICO. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Hollywood has a new villain: Big Tech. Zuckerberg, Musk, Altman and Holmes are the subjects of new films — but taking on Silicon Valley gets complicated when studios do business with it. I spoke with Tom Rothman, Aaron Sorkin and others about these new bad guys: www.politico.com/news/2026/10...politico.comHollywood tears into Big Tech“There is a fundamental feeling — a widespread feeling among most people — that these mega-gigantic tech companies don't really care about them,” Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman told POLITICO. 021
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026On the day David Ellison tried to move past the “turbulent” and “really ugly” Warner Bros. dealmaking, politics was still front and center: Trump, Newsom, Bonta, CNN’s independence and a federal film tax incentive all came up at his Tuesday press event: www.politico.com/newsletters/... 002
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026“I’m glad it’s over,” Skydance CEO David Ellison says of the “turbulent” and “really ugly” process of his company acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. 231
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Skydance CEO David Ellison says the combined company will spend more on content than any company in the world. Ellison: “More than Disney, more than Netflix.” 131
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz say they’ll have offices on both the Warner Bros. and Paramount lots and traverse from one to the other as needed. 021
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz take the stage at today’s media event — in near identical outfits. Dark blue jeans, sneakers, black blazers. No ties. They both offer short opening remarks and throw it to the press for questions. All business. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Skydance is hosting reporters on Stage 3 at the Paramount lot for a press conference with CEO David Ellison and other company leaders. The gathering begins with a video highlighting Skydance’s many iconic films. Lots of “Batman,” Tom Cruise and Christopher Nolan films. 011
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026“The Social Reckoning” and “Musk” open Friday, offering nearly six hours of Big Tech dread for an unlikely back-to-back double feature — a nerdier version of “Barbenheimer.” Though “The Social Muskoning” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Is there a better name for it? 110
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026…But you could count on the press to ask about it. The first question for Rep. Laura Friedman centered on the merger’s impact. She said: “Look, my my priority is to expand this industry in the United States. We can't win by shrinking. We've got to have more jobs.” 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026A parade of elected officials and Hollywood union reps are touting the federal film tax incentive as a jobs bill at a Tuesday rally. But on the same day the Paramount-WBD deal closed, the merger widely expected to trigger mass layoffs has gone unmentioned in prepared remarks. 100
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026No Hollywood merger is truly complete until they repaint the water tower. 050
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026As elected officials stress the bipartisan nature of their federal film tax incentive bill, Trump’s support looms over the rally — especially after many observers long doubted he’d ever get on board. Rep. Maxine Waters: “I don’t care who signs it. … That includes the president of the United States.” 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026In a sign of the (strange) times we’re living in, Sen. Adam Schiff touts support from President Trump and Spencer Pratt for a federal film tax incentive bill. “It just can’t wait,” the Democrat said at a rally today. “It’s just too important.” 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Rep. Laura Friedman, Sen. Adam Schiff and other elected officials are holding a rally in Glendale to tout their federal production tax incentive bill. “The coalition has taken a lot of work to build, and none of us are going to stop,” Friedman says. “Let’s go get this done.” 011
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Paramount Skydance completed its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery today, according to a new SEC filing, bringing one of Hollywood’s biggest-ever media deals to a close. It will host an event for reporters Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles to introduce the combined business. 012
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 04/10/2026OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says there remains a fundamental difference in worldview between his company and rival Anthropic on artificial intelligence regulation. This is from an exclusive interview w/ @politico.com’s Decoded: www.politico.com/news/2026/10...politico.comSam Altman to Decoded: ‘The world should accept some bad things happening’ for the benefits of AIThe OpenAI CEO sought to distinguish his policy stance from rival developer Anthropic. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Saying that “we never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either” Paramount or Warner Bros., David Ellison announces the combined company will be called Skydance. And he uses X to do it. 073
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 01/10/2026One wrinkle in Paramount’s new co-CEO structure, according to the company’s 8-K and Ynon Kreiz’s employment agreement filed w/ the SEC: David Ellison will remain the sole “principal executive officer,” even as Ynon Kreiz becomes co-CEO. 043
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Paramount Skydance says its $111 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery will close Oct. 6 — a notable date in Hollywood history. “The Jazz Singer” debuted on Oct. 6, 1927, marking a turning point in the transition to sound, though the film is now recognized for its use of racist blackface. 032
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 30/09/2026And on the heels of this news, Paramount Skydance announced that Ynon Kreiz will be co-CEO of Paramount-WBD. He previously was CEO of Mattel. 000
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 30/09/2026BREAKING: The Paramount-WBD merger can close, as a federal judge has approved the settlement ending the states’ antitrust challenge to the deal and lifted the order preventing it from closing. The judge found the consent decree “fair, reasonable, and good faith.” 375
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Aaron Sorkin on the Paramount-WBD merger: www.politico.com/news/2026/09... 099
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 29/09/2026“The Social Reckoning” writer and director Aaron Sorkin told me Paramount-WBD wouldn’t have made his searing film about Facebook. In a pull-no-punches interview, he also explained why he left Trump out of the movie, which Sony will release next month. Read the Q&A: www.politico.com/news/2026/09...politico.comWhy Aaron Sorkin left Trump out of ‘The Social Reckoning’POLITICO spoke with "The West Wing" creator about returning to the topic of Facebook just before the midterm elections. 253
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026The issue centers on Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which bars mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. Paramount says the court should ask only whether the settlement is fair and lawful — not whether it provides everything the states might have won at trial. 044
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 28/09/2026NEW: Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are pushing back on Sen. Cory Booker’s attack on their antitrust settlement with the states, arguing the judge does not need to decide whether the deal fully cures an illegal merger — because no antitrust violation has ever been found. 133
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026If you want to file an amicus brief in the Paramount-WBD antitrust case, the deadline is 12:01 a.m. Pacific tonight. Any additional nonparty seeking to file must first ask the court’s permission. 066
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026When will we know whether the judge overseeing the Paramount-WBD antitrust case will approve the proposed settlement? She ended the hearing a little while ago with this — and no more specific timeline: “We will get you a ruling in due course.” 153
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Here’s the judge’s “homework” for the parties in the Paramount-WBD case: She asked them to address, by noon Monday, the letter the court received from Sen. Cory Booker. Read the senator’s letter in full below: x.com/DanielNMille...x.comDaniel Miller (@DanielNMiller) on XIn a letter filed w/ the court, Sen. Cory Booker urged the judge handling the Paramount-WBD antitrust litigation to independently review the proposed settlement before approving it, questioning whether its temporary commitments would adequately restore competition. The letter: 042
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026The judge handling the Paramount-WBD case says she’s done asking questions. Her queries were mostly technical, but she said the parties will have “homework” to do, signaling that some issues remain before she can approve the settlement and enter the consent decree. 063
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026We asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta what he made of a flurry of filings in the Paramount-WBD antitrust case that question whether the consent decree adequately addresses his lawsuit’s antitrust claims. Here's what Bonta said: 042
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Quite a moment: Under the settlement, Paramount-WBD would be forced to sell its stake in Miramax if it fails to release 30 films a year. The judge had a question for the parties: “Talk with me a little bit about the significance of Miramax … I don’t know anything about Miramax.” 084
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026The judge in the Paramount-WBD litigation wants to make sure the settlement was the result of arms' length negotiations. That means the parties negotiated independently, each pursuing its own interests — without a hidden arrangement or improper pressure. An attorney for the state of CA says it was. 094
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026The hearing in the Paramount-WBD antitrust case has begun. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín starts off by saying her court is not a "rubber stamp" of the settlement reached by the states and Paramount. "I have some questions for you all," the judge says... 0114
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Big news for Hollywood: Lawmakers will introduce bipartisan legislation Thursday to create a federal tax incentive for film and television production, putting Donald Trump’s push to prop up Hollywood in front of Congress. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...politico.comLawmakers to unveil Hollywood tax incentive proposalThe stakes are high for the entertainment industry, which has been battered by years of work shifting to countries with lucrative tax credits. 043
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026NEW: Civil-rights and religious leaders are asking the judge in the Paramount-WBD antitrust case for permission to file an amicus brief opposing the proposed consent decree — and to delay approval and keep the no-close order in place while she considers it. 01911
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 24/09/2026As lawmakers in Congress prepare a federal production tax incentive bill, new @politico.com polling shows that CA voters are interested in more help for Hollywood: 52% support increasing state tax credits or other incentives to aid local production. Details: www.politico.com/newsletters/... 010
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I'm set to join CapRadio's Insight a little after 12 p.m. PT to discuss the latest on the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Tune in: www.capradio.org/news/insight/capradio.orgInsight With Vicki GonzalezAward-winning journalist Vicki Gonzalez hosts interviews with community leaders, advocates, experts, artists and more to provide background and understanding on breaking news, big events, politics and culture in the Sacramento region and beyond. 011
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 23/09/2026A few notes: 🧮 The poll was conducted this month — before the settlement was announced. 🧮 We measured support for the legal challenge, not voters’ thoughts re: a settlement. 091
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 23/09/2026NEW: Paramount’s fight w/ CA AG Rob Bonta may be over, but what do voters think of the lawsuit to block its Warner Bros. takeover? A new @POLITICO poll finds 49% of CA registered voters supported the lawsuit, versus 31% who opposed it. And there’s more. My latest: www.politico.com/newsletters/... 3268
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 23/09/2026NEW: The judge overseeing the Paramount-WBD antitrust litigation has canceled Thursday’s hearing on Paramount’s bond request but scheduled a new one to address outstanding questions about the proposed consent decree. She has not yet approved the settlement. 55033
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 22/09/2026News: South Carolina Republican Tim Scott is slated to introduce the bipartisan federal production tax credit bill in the Senate, while Texas Republican Nathaniel Moran is expected to do so in the House, a source familiar w/ the matter tells me. Our recent coverage: www.politico.com/news/2026/09...politico.comHollywood presses Congress on Trump-backed film tax incentiveAn industry-backed report projects the measure would generate $125.3 billion in additional U.S. production spending. 110
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Here's a statement from Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United — the movie theater trade organization — on the settlement of the Paramount-WBD antitrust litigation. (In August, Cinema United urged CA AG Rob Bonta and Paramount to settle.) 011
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 22/09/2026OK, so now that David Ellison’s Paramount is acquiring Warner Bros., what’s he going to name his new entertainment behemoth? I delved into this issue back in March — at the time, one WB exec told me dropping the company's name would be “soul-crushing.” www.politico.com/newsletters/...politico.comThe merger that's rebranding Hollywood 052
Daniel Miller @danielnmiller.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Paramount Skydance and the states that sued to block the company’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery are poised to settle the antitrust litigation, clearing the way for the blockbuster transaction to close. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...politico.comParamount, states to settle antitrust litigationThe settlement ends a fractious two-month legal battle. 011