Market Chatter: Paramount, California Settlement Talks Include Penalty for Missing 30-Film Pledge

04:49 AM EDT, 09/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Paramount Skydance (PSKY) may face a financial penalty if it fails to distribute 30 films per year in theaters as part of settlement talks with California officials over its stalled acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Bloomberg reported over the weekend, citing two people familiar with the discussions. The entertainment company might have to pay $30 million for each film that falls short of that goal. It may also be forced to sell its stake in studio Miramax if it misses the target, the media outlet added. The discussions also include a potential US film-production investment of about $1.5 billion, according to one of the people cited by Bloomberg. Paramount and Warner Bros did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment. (Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)