{"id":39709,"date":"2026-08-12T01:13:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=39709"},"modified":"2026-08-12T01:13:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:13:32","slug":"movie-theater-owners-divided-over-paramount-warner-bros-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=39709","title":{"rendered":"Movie Theater Owners Divided Over Paramount-Warner Bros Merger"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tMovie theater owners have become embroiled in the kind of drama they usually sell on the big screen, thanks to the ongoing saga of Paramount\u2019s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/cinema-united\/\" id=\"auto-tag_cinema-united\" data-tag=\"cinema-united\">Cinema United<\/a>, the exhibition industry\u2019s main lobbying group, for months has been publicly opposed to <em>any<\/em> potential sale of Warner Bros. The trade organization\u2019s president, Michael O\u2019Leary, is concerned a merger will lead to fewer films and potential theater closures. He now has another problem: The group\u2019s two most powerful members, <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/amc-theatres\/\" id=\"auto-tag_amc-theatres\" data-tag=\"amc-theatres\">AMC Theatres<\/a> and Regal Cinemas, are contradicting that message.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn a major blow to the org\u2019s solidarity, the CEOs of the two largest theater chains, AMC\u2019s Adam Aron and Regal\u2019s Eduardo Acuna, are throwing their support behind the $111 billion deal. Insiders note that O\u2019Leary, who became president and CEO of Cinema United in 2023, was appointed in part because he was viewed as less fiery than his predecessor, John Fithian, an outspoken advocate for theater owners. With O\u2019Leary now out of step with his two biggest members, Cinema United\u2019s smaller exhibitors worry about how the internal fracture might jeopardize their future bargaining power, should the pact knock out another major supplier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cThis infighting is not good for anybody,\u201d says one regional exhibitor. \u201cLeadership can\u2019t control the big guys, and it makes us all look like clowns. How do studios take you seriously if they don\u2019t know who is running the ship?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tCinema United\u2019s leadership isn\u2019t blinking. O\u2019Leary tells <em>Variety<\/em> the group\u2019s \u201cresponsibility and commitment is to the entire exhibition community.\u201d He adds, \u201cAs we have since the outset, we will continue to pursue opportunities for meaningful and enforceable guardrails to protect our industry for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAMC and Regal declined to comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAron has been backing the merger since CinemaCon in April, arguing the combined company would strengthen the theatrical business. After a collection of state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit last month to block the deal, Aron <a data-id=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/biz\/news\/amc-theatres-adam-aron-paramount-warner-bros-merger-1236823859\/?bt_ee=6nw%2Fo6kywQCOF71dY%2B4%2F9Q7PFLJr3vH6XNx6ygZInKUMNBK2KlHPrxW6Jx0Pnmxk&amp;bt_ts=1785365919125#recipient_hashed=974d58b9556d8d32645137db056a7b66189ad75b0c6e018d3655ab80606d18ca&amp;recipient_salt=4a31e77b4926c71b38c83d497b00c37f018af5c1de8b4ff957de2058b0cf17cc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=exacttarget&amp;utm_campaign=newsalert&amp;utm_content=AMC%20Theatres%20Chief%20Adam%20Aron%20Pushes%20for%20Paramount%20Warner%20Bros.%20Merger,%20Says%20%27Thanks,%20But%20No%20Thanks%27%20to%20State%20AG%E2%80%99s%20Blocking%20Deal,%202026-07-29%2015:53:47_07-29-2026_&amp;utm_term=c5d839a8-5161-444b-a455-3b4b5e4dd398\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/biz\/news\/amc-theatres-adam-aron-paramount-warner-bros-merger-1236823859\/?bt_ee=6nw%2Fo6kywQCOF71dY%2B4%2F9Q7PFLJr3vH6XNx6ygZInKUMNBK2KlHPrxW6Jx0Pnmxk&amp;bt_ts=1785365919125#recipient_hashed=974d58b9556d8d32645137db056a7b66189ad75b0c6e018d3655ab80606d18ca&amp;recipient_salt=4a31e77b4926c71b38c83d497b00c37f018af5c1de8b4ff957de2058b0cf17cc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=exacttarget&amp;utm_campaign=newsalert&amp;utm_content=AMC%20Theatres%20Chief%20Adam%20Aron%20Pushes%20for%20Paramount%20Warner%20Bros.%20Merger,%20Says%20%27Thanks,%20But%20No%20Thanks%27%20to%20State%20AG%E2%80%99s%20Blocking%20Deal,%202026-07-29%2015:53:47_07-29-2026_&amp;utm_term=c5d839a8-5161-444b-a455-3b4b5e4dd398\">doubled down in a <em>Variety <\/em>op-ed<\/a>, asserting the \u201ccomplaint simply gets the economics of our business backwards.\u201d Making matters more uncomfortable: Aron\u2019s piece was published on the same day that O\u2019Leary <a data-id=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/cinema-united-chief-michael-oleary-blasts-paramount-warner-bros-deal-1236823659\/\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/cinema-united-chief-michael-oleary-blasts-paramount-warner-bros-deal-1236823659\/\">issued his own letter<\/a> to endorse the litigation to delay the merger, writing \u201cthe promises of support for theatrical being made in the media are high-level and unenforceable and as such do nothing to alleviate the harms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThen <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/regal-cinemas-ceo-supports-paramount-warner-bros-merger-1236828802\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/regal-cinemas-ceo-supports-paramount-warner-bros-merger-1236828802\/\">Acuna warned last week<\/a> that delaying the merger might create \u201cmore uncertainty and distraction that could be damaging to our industry as we build on our current success.\u201d Hollywood is enjoying its biggest summer season since COVID, and yearly domestic revenues are poised to hit $10 billion for the first time since 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tMeanwhile, Sean Gamble, CEO of No. 3 U.S. chain Cinemark,\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0officially endorsed the merger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tCinema United\u2019s leaders were blindsided by Aron\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/amc-theatres-boss-supports-paramount-deal-to-buy-warner-bros-taylor-swift-netflix-1236723376\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/amc-theatres-boss-supports-paramount-deal-to-buy-warner-bros-taylor-swift-netflix-1236723376\/\">support for the merger at CinemaCon<\/a>, sources say, but many members saw his contradictory comments as par for the course, since Aron has diverged with Cinema United on prior issues. Now, with Regal also backing the deal, the group may be on the brink of a civil war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAron and Acuna are disposed to favor the pending marriage because Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has pledged the joint studio will release at least 30 films a year. By contrast, Disney and Universal, the two biggest studios by market share, each release 16-20 movies annually.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tO\u2019Leary and others in Hollywood are skeptical of Ellison\u2019s promise, pointing to the combined company\u2019s substantial $80 billion debt load and plans to cut $6 billion in duplicative efforts across the business. Meanwhile, cinema operators haven\u2019t yet recovered from the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, which resulted in fewer new releases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThere\u2019s a sense among industry insiders that Aron and Acuna believe the Paramount-Warner Bros. union is inevitable and want to stay on Ellison\u2019s good side. Shortly after Acuna\u2019s statement, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-08-09\/paramount-will-put-30-film-pledge-in-writing-to-theater-chains?taid=6a77cfee73bffa000183a99b&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-08-09\/paramount-will-put-30-film-pledge-in-writing-to-theater-chains?taid=6a77cfee73bffa000183a99b&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Bloomberg reported that Ellison offered<\/a> AMC and Regal a three-year, contractually enforceable agreement that would guarantee exclusive 45-day theatrical windows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cParamount already guaranteed a 45-day window,\u201d the indie operator points out. \u201cI don\u2019t see how that swung the tide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tCinema United can still argue the health of the exhibition business rests on more than just AMC and Regal. Those large circuits each operate hundreds of locations, and, sure, they might be able to survive more consolidation. However, more than\u00a090% of Cinema United members have fewer than 75 screens. It\u2019s the hundreds of independent theaters that will be vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWe will be faced with the same dilemma from Disney-Fox,\u201d says another arthouse theater owner. \u201cThere were fewer films and therefore less competition to get on our screens, putting them in a controlling position. We\u2019ve been told, \u2018Take it or leave it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Movie theater owners have become embroiled in the kind of drama they usually sell on the big screen, thanks to the ongoing saga of Paramount\u2019s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Cinema United, the exhibition industry\u2019s main lobbying group, for months has been publicly opposed to any potential sale of Warner Bros. The trade organization\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/adam-aron.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}