Exactly as my insiders said when they told me the SnyderVerse is back in play and that James Gunn will be out when WBD is sold, it’s now learned that Paramount has the backing of both the Saudis and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, in their hostile takeover attempt of WBD.
After my initial report about Gunn, he went on a YouTube tour and questioned if he would be staying at WBD once its sold.
Following Netflix winning the bid, Gunn and Peter Safran then did that article with Bloomerberg, which confirms they only got a six-month extension and their jobs aren’t guaranteed.
Just yesterday, Zack Snyder teased more stories with Superman Henry Cavill.
The latest is that following Netflix winning the bid, Paramount has announced a hostile takeover of WBD.
Paramount officially announced the takeover, Trump has responded, Netflix has responded, and WBD has responded. Details below.
Paramount Drops $108 Billion Bid To Block Netflix Takeover
Paramount has gone fully hostile against Warner Bros. Discovery following Netflix winning the WBD bid, escalating Hollywood’s largest corporate battle in decades. Recall we’ve been told a storm is coming, Mr. Wayne…
Paramount on Monday dropped an all-cash tender offer to acquire all outstanding WBD shares for $30 each, valuing the company at $108.4 billion. The purpose of the move is blunt: yank Warner Bros. out of Netflix’s hands before the streamer finalizes its agreement.
Paramount called its proposal $18 billion more in cash than Netflix’s structure and attacked WBD’s current board for backing what it calls an “illusory” and “inferior” deal.
Paramount Goes Hostile
Paramount said WBD’s board made its choice based on a “fictional” valuation of Global Networks and is now pushing past them to reach shareholders directly.
CEO David Ellison blasted Netflix’s offer as “inferior and uncertain,” calling his own deal a “superior, all-cash” path that avoids a regulatory gauntlet across multiple countries.
Ellison said the company is done waiting: “We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests.”
The bid is backed by Larry Ellison, RedBird Capital, and $54 billion in debt commitments from Bank of America, Citi, and Apollo.
Paramount also argues regulators will slam the brakes on Netflix combining with WBD because it would create a 43% global Subscription Video on Demand monopoly, especially in regions where Netflix and WBD already rank #1 and #2.
The company added Netflix has “never undertaken large-scale acquisitions,” calling it another major execution risk.
Saudis, Qatar & Kushner Revealed As Backers
The next bombshell: Paramount confirmed exactly what my insiders said, that Middle East sovereign funds and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners are underwriting the hostile bid.
Funding sources include:
- Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)
- Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company (PJSC)
- Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)
- Affinity Partners (Jared Kushner)
As I previously reported, Hollywood has been shifting toward massive partnerships with the Saudis — including deals involving Trump’s orbit. The kingdom wants major entertainment assets, major franchises, and theme-park IP.
Paramount’s disclosure lines up with everything insiders have been telling us for months.
Trump: “None Of Them Are Particularly Great Friends Of Mine”
Interestingly, Trump now publicly pumped the brakes and backed off from being connected to both Paramount and Netflix.
After reports that Netflix’s Ted Sarandos courted Trump and that Paramount also sought his support, Trump told reporters: “I know the companies very well. I know what they are doing. But I have to see… what percentage of market they have. We have to see the Netflix percentage of market, Paramount percentage of market. I mean, none of them are particularly great friends of mine. I want to do what’s right.”
Trump said he would wait to review the market-share impact before weighing in, indicating he’s not backing either side, at least not publicly.
This is a shift, as earlier reporting suggested Trump was warming to a Netflix–WBD deal.
Netflix Responds: “Entirely Expected”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos fired back at the hostile bid, brushing it off: “Today’s move was entirely expected. We have a deal done, and we are incredibly happy with the deal.”
Sarandos said Netflix remains “super confident” the acquisition will close and called it good for shareholders, creatives, and jobs.
Netflix is acting like nothing has changed — even though everything just did.
WBD Confirms Receipt, Stays With Netflix (For Now)
Warner Bros. Discovery acknowledged the hostile bid and said the board will review it under the terms of its agreement with Netflix. The board will issue a recommendation within 10 business days.
Until then, WBD told shareholders: Do not take any action.
WBD is legally and publicly still standing behind the Netflix acquisition — at least for now — while they evaluate Paramount’s new hostile bid.
What This Means
Hollywood now faces the most aggressive corporate clash in its history:
- Netflix believes it already won WBD.
- Paramount is trying to rip the studio out of its hands.
- The Saudis, Qatar, and Kushner are officially major players (exactly as I was told).
- Trump is publicly neutral — privately, anything can change.
- WBD’s board is frozen between contracts, regulators, shareholders, and two competing billion-dollar empires.
This is no longer a simple acquisition. This is a three-way war for Hollywood’s future, with the Saudis trillion dollar fund watching from the throne room.
