Paramount Skydance Corp. and a group of state attorneys general challenging its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. were ordered to find dates to meet in late October to negotiate a possible settlement to the state’s lawsuit, according to a brief court order on Friday afternoon.

The exact dates have yet to be set, but the two sides were told to meet over two consecutive days, according to the filing. The Writers Guild of America West, which has filed a separate suit to block the deal, will also be participating in the negotiations, which will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson in San Francisco.

“A court-ordered settlement conference means the judge required both sides to meet, but it does not indicate a settlement is in progress,” a spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “This is standard course in a case of this magnitude.”

The California-led group of states, along with the Writers Guild, sued to block the deal in July arguing it would harm competition in theatrical film distribution and cable-TV markets as well as diminish competition for the services of screenwriters.

Paramount has to pay Warner Bros. late fees of $7 million a day starting on Oct. 1 if the deal isn’t closed by then. The company has asked the court to order the states to post a $1.88 billion bond to cover its expenses, pending a settlement or a court trial, which is scheduled for March.

In a separate statement on Friday, Paramount said it will “continue to remain open to working constructively with plaintiffs on a speedy resolution so that we can close the transaction and deliver its pro-competitive benefits to creators and consumers alike.”

Shares of Paramount ended the day up about 2% on Friday. Warner Bros. was down slightly.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.