The biggest theater chains in America just picked a side in Hollywood’s most heated merger battle. Regal CEO Eduardo Acuna and AMC rallied behind the Paramount-WBD deal while warning against a costly antitrust trial.
Regal CEO backs Paramount-Warner Bros. merger ahead of trial
Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cinemas, voiced his support for the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger in an exclusive statement to Deadline.
Acuna called on all stakeholders to reach an agreement instead of heading to an antitrust trial scheduled for March 2027. He cautioned that a prolonged court battle “creates more uncertainty and distraction that could be damaging to our industry.”
Acuna revealed he had direct conversations with Paramount CEO David Ellison regarding the merged entity’s plans. Ellison pledged at least 30 theatrical releases per year, along with guaranteed theatrical windows.
Those windows include 45 days for TVOD, 90 days for SVOD, and a $30 billion yearly content spend. “I believe David is sincere in making these commitments,” Acuna affirmed. He noted that Ellison also volunteered to sign a consent decree with state attorneys general.
AMC CEO Adam Aron separately expressed his backing for the deal in a July 29 Variety column. Aron dismissed the antitrust case as misguided regarding the exhibition business model. “Their complaint simply gets the economics of our business backwards,” Aron wrote. Both leading global theater chains now align in favoring the merger.
Meanwhile, Cinema United CEO Michael O’Leary continues to oppose the acquisition strongly. O’Leary worries about a theatrical product decline resembling the aftermath of the Disney-Fox merger. He stated that Paramount went silent after Cinema United submitted its concerns on July 1. TKO Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel also championed the deal in a Wall Street Journal column. Emanuel labeled the antitrust suit “trash” and insisted the merger “could save Hollywood.”
The 2026 domestic box office has surpassed $6 billion, reaching the highest point since 2019. Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared his optimism about Ellison’s commitments at the PGAs. Bruckheimer added at CinemaCon that the merger train “has left the station.” Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble similarly praised the prospect of increased theatrical investment at the Morgan Stanley conference.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.net.
