Paramount May Be Bluffing About Leaving California, But L.A. Mayor Taking It Seriously

By Gene Maddaus

Gene Maddaus

Senior Media Writer

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Paramount has been threatening to leave California since July, when the state sued to block it from merging with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Attorney General Rob Bonta has called it “blackmail” meant to stop him from enforcing antitrust law. But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for one, is taking the threat seriously and is trying to do whatever she can to persuade the company to stay.

“We’ve heard the same information that everybody has,” said Steve Kang, the mayor’s film czar, on Wednesday. “We need to be prepared for every option to be available — whether it’s true or not.”

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