Paramount agreed to a number of concessions, including an investment of $1.5 billion in production spending in California over the next five years.

HOLLYWOOD - Paramount Skydance has settled a lawsuit with a dozen US states, paving the way for its $110bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery. Under the agreement, Paramount must produce at least 30 films a year and ensure a certain percentage are produced in the US, or face penalties including selling off parts of its business. The deal clears one of the final hurdles for the merger that is set to reshape Hollywood, combining legacy studios, major streamers, and national networks under one umbrella. Announcing the settlement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the agreement was "not a vote of support for this merger", while Parmount's chief executive welcomed the resolution. David Ellison said that now the state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) concerns had been addressed, "we have complete clearance for this merger and look forward to putting these commitments into action". The WGA said it continues to believe the deal "will cause damage to writers and the industry at large".…