The Steady Drip: US Antitrust Regulators Poised to Approve Paramount's Takeover of Warner Bros (Connecting the Dots: David Ellison, Paramount, Jane Fonda, Netflix & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

US Antitrust Regulators Poised to Approve Paramount's Takeover of Warner Bros (Connecting the Dots: David Ellison, Paramount, Jane Fonda, Netflix & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

Newsmax.com

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 07:34 AM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/us/paramount-warner-bros-takeover/2026/05/27/id/1257628/

U.S. antitrust regulators ‌appear ready to approve Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, after a two-hour meeting at the Justice Department, Semafor reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

At the meeting, Paramount CEO David Ellison ‌reiterated a commitment to releasing movies in theaters, the report said.

According to the report, the Department of Justice staff attorneys seemed swayed by arguments from ⁠top Paramount executives that the deal would not hurt other studios and creative talent.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The ⁠DOJ, Paramount, and Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.

Hollywood and Wall Street are intensely interested in ‌the high-stakes deal, which would bring together some of the entertainment industry's most ‌enduring franchises but could hurt film and television jobs.

The DOJ in March sent ‌subpoenas in its investigation of Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros., seeking information on how the deal would affect studio output, content ⁠rights, competition among streaming services, ‌and how the acquisition could ⁠affect movie theaters.

Top Hollywood stars have also opposed the merger. Jane Fonda, ⁠J.J. ⁠Abrams, and Mark Ruffalo are among the nearly 3,500 signatories to a letter that ‌argued the combination would lead to fewer opportunities for creators, job losses and higher costs for consumers.

Paramount pushed hard to take the ‌deal away from Netflix and has ‌bet on closing it quickly, pledging to pay Warner Bros. shareholders a quarterly "ticking fee" of 25 cents per share starting in October if the deal has not closed by then.

Connecting the Dots:

Jane Fonda A.K.A. Hanoi Jane was married to Tom Hayden and Ted Turner.

Tom Hayden was married to Jane Fonda and an editorial board member for The Nation.

Stephen F. Cohen was a contributing editor for The Nation, married to Katrina vanden Heuvel and a friend of Mikhail Gorbachev.

Katrina vanden Heuvel is the editor & publisher for The Nation, a director at the Roosevelt Institute, was married to Stephen F. Cohen and a governor for the Roosevelt Institute.

Jonathan Soros is a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, George Soros’s son and was the vice chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

George Soros is Jonathan Soros’s father, the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Roosevelt Institute.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the chair for the Roosevelt Institute and an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation.

Mikhail Gorbachev was an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the founder for the Green Cross International.

Robert Redford was an honorary board member for Green Cross International and a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Alan F. Horn is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and was the president & COO for Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

J. Robert Kerrey was a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and is a council of advisor’s member for Global Green USA.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a board member for Global Green USA.

Global Green USA is the US affiliate for Green Cross International

Ted Turner was an honorary board member for Green Cross International, married to Jane Fonda A.K.A. Hanoi Jane, a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and the founder of CNN.

Michael Douglas is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and a friend of George Soros.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Walter Isaacson is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.

Ted Sarandos is a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content officer for Netflix Inc.

Ann B. Friedman is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a director at Conservation International.

Stewart A. Resnick is a benefactor for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a director at Conservation International.

Queen Noor is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a director emeritus at Conservation International.

Lynda R. Resnick is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a director emeritus at Conservation International.

David Ellison was a director at Conservation International, is chief executive officer (CEO) of Paramount Skydance and the son of Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Mellody L. Hobson is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Ronald L. Nelson was the co-COO for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and the EVP & CFO for Paramount Communications Inc.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. is a subsidiary of the Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Thomas E. Freston is a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., and the chairman for the ONE Campaign.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michelle Obama is an advocate for the ONE Campaign and was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Newton N. Minow was a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the New America Foundation (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the New America Foundation (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is Jonathan Soros’s father.

Jonathan Soros is a director at the New America Foundation (think tank) and George Soros’s son.

Noosheen Hashemi was a director at the New America Foundation and the VP for the Oracle Corporation.

Larry Ellison is the Executive Chairman for the Oracle Corporation, David Ellison’s father and was a friend of Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs was a friend of Lawrence J. Ellison and married to Laurene Powell Jobs.

Laurene Powell Jobs was married to Steve Jobs and a director at the New America Foundation.

Eric E. Schmidt is the chairman of the New America Foundation, was the chairman for Google Inc. and a funder for the New America Foundation.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the New America Foundation and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New America Foundation (think tank) and the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Thomas E. Freston is the chairman for the ONE Campaign and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

Morton H. Halperin is a director at the ONE Campaign, a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations, was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and served with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was a supporter for the Center for American Progress and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award, has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Ted Turner was a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), an honorary board member for Green Cross International, married to Jane Fonda A.K.A. Hanoi Jane and the founder of CNN.

Michael Douglas is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and a friend of George Soros.

Warren E. Buffett is an adviser at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and Howard G. Buffett & Susan A. Buffett’s father.

Howard G. Buffett is Warren E. Buffett’s son and a director at the ONE Campaign.

Susan A. Buffett is Warren E. Buffett’s daughter and a director at the ONE Campaign.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Morton H. Halperin is a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations and a director at the ONE Campaign.

Thomas E. Freston is the chairman for the ONE Campaign and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. is a subsidiary of the Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Ronald L. Nelson was the co-COO for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and the EVP & CFO for Paramount Communications Inc.

Mellody L. Hobson is the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

James S. Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is an advisory board member for the Earth Institute.

Jared M. Diamond is an advisory board member for the Earth Institute and a director at Conservation International.