Paramount is reportedly preparing to leave California, although an expected announcement did not take place, according to sources familiar with discussions in the offices of the Los Angeles mayor and the state attorney general.
Officials were told the studio would confirm its departure on Tuesday, but no announcement was made. It is unclear whether the plans have changed or whether the move has simply been delayed.
The reported development comes as California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general pursue an antitrust lawsuit against Paramount in an attempt to block its proposed merger with Warner Bros.
Paramount chief executive David Ellison has threatened to move the studio to Texas, Tennessee or Georgia unless Mr Bonta abandons the legal action and reaches a settlement with the company.
Negotiations have taken place in recent months, but the two sides have failed to reach an agreement. Mr Bonta has said Paramount was being unreasonable during the discussions.
Ellison had set October 1 as the deadline for a settlement before the threatened move from California. Conversations within the mayor’s office and the attorney general’s office now indicate that an agreement may not be possible.
Paramount has not commented on the reports.
