And Cut! Paramount Looking To Leave California
California has never walked past a rake that it wasn’t obliged to step on. If it wasn’t such a unique combination of being pathetic and, at the same time, infuriating, that state’s ability to be wrong consistently would be something to marvel at.
This time, they have even managed to piss off a Hollywood production company to the point that the company is ready to leave.
According to reports, Paramount is ready to leave California for greener pastures elsewhere.
Reports say Paramount is loading up the truck and leaving Beverly because state officials refuse to drop a lawsuit blocking Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
According to Variety, the Trump administration is supporting Paramount in its efforts against states trying to block the merger, which the Department of Justice approved in June.
But that was not good enough for California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who suffers from severe TDS and convinced 11 other losers to block the merger, according to TMZ.
Paramount has told Bonta’s office and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass that it plans to leave the state, but it has not made a public announcement. Deadline also confirmed the communication.
If Paramount departs, it won’t be the first case. “American Idol” is moving from Hollywood to Atlanta, and many other productions have also relocated from Hollywood in recent years. David Ellison, Paramount’s CEO, has threatened to move the studio to Texas, Tennessee, or Georgia if Bonta doesn’t back off and settle. Ellison has threatened to leave California if a settlement is not reached by October 1st. Conversations in both the Mayor’s and Attorney General’s offices suggest that a settlement is out of reach.
Skepticism remains about whether Paramount would make a complete move or only relocate its business offices. However, if it did, the financial toll on the state would be devastating.
According to the New York Post, California could potentially lose up to 58,000 jobs and over $21 billion annually if Paramount decides to leave. A report from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s Institute for Applied Economics indicated that between 28,990 and 57,980 full-time jobs would be at risk.
The total economic impact could range from $10.6 billion to $21.2 billion annually, while governments might lose between $585 million and $1.17 billion each year in tax revenue.
State Republican Chairwoman Corrin Rankin put the matter bluntly.
“Rob Bonta wants to play antitrust crusader while California jobs hang in the balance. If Paramount walks and thousands of jobs go with it, he won’t get to blame Hollywood.”
Bonta’s crusade is a prime example of marching into hell, clinging to some sort of self-absorbed righteousness and failing to consider anyone or anything else other than your own ego.
Will Paramount move? I hope they do. This is a case where the grass is definitely greener on the other side of the fence, because of the maniacal, power-hungry lunatics pulling the strings.
Pack your bags, Paramount, as far as Newsom, Bonta, and California are concerned, this is a wrap.
