Valley filmmaker was on the Paramount lot when ‘Saudiwood’ flew over, then California settled

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - Graham Bennett was working on the Paramount lot last week when a plane towed a banner over the studio: "Welcome to Saudiwood, David!"

Five days later, California and 11 other states settled their lawsuit against Paramount Skydance, clearing the way for its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. On Tuesday, protesters outside the same lot chanted "shame" at Attorney General Rob Bonta, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Bennett, a camera assistant and director who moved to the valley at 15, says the deal makes his job harder.

"You learn very early on in filmmaking that you're going to get a lot of nos," he told News Channel 3. "But if there are less people to say no, and no means a lot more. It's all around consolidation, confinement. It's limiting."

Bonta sued in July, arguing the merger would give one company nearly a third of U.S. theatrical releases. In August, he told CNN a promise to make a set number of movies was "a way to behave," not a fix. The settlement filed Monday is built on that promise: at least 30 films a year in theaters, rising to 32, four of them independent, with a $30 million penalty for each one it misses. Paramount must spend $300 million more a year on U.S. production, keep both studio lots open and put $5 million a year into a fund for buying independent films. Nothing has to be sold up front. Bonta said the deal is "not a vote of support for this merger" and that he still doesn't think the companies should merge.

News Channel 3's Garrett Hottle has the full report at 6:00 p.m.