California Governor Gavin Newsom is reportedly concerned about the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general led by California against Paramount's $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The lawsuit alleges that the merger would combine two of Hollywood's top five studios and result in higher prices, less movies in theaters, and a decrease in content quality. If blocked, Newsom has stated that state employment would suffer. He has encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta's independent office to resolve the issue out of court. The suit led to a temporary halt on the merger on July 20, with Paramount agreeing to wait until a court ruling on whether or not the deal violates antitrust laws.