Skydance Media has halted new spending on “9/12,” a limited series about 9/11 first-responders that was to star and be executive-produced by Succession’s Jeremy Strong, as regulators continue to scrutinize the company’s proposed $8 billion takeover of Paramount Global.
Sources close to the production said the freeze covers costs beyond an already approved budget, though filming remains penciled in for August.
Screenwriter Tobias Lindholm and co-writer Frank Pugliese were told work may proceed only on previously commissioned scripts until the merger picture clears, underscoring how corporate uncertainty can ripple through creative pipelines.
The Skydance-Paramount agreement, announced in July 2024, gave the partners until 7 July to close after an automatic 90-day extension kicked in this month when the original 7 April deadline lapsed. While the Securities and Exchange Commission and the European Commission signed off in February, the Federal Communications Commission is still reviewing the transfer of CBS broadcast licences under its informal 180-day “shot clock,” now past day 120.
Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters last week that the transaction remains “on track” and is being evaluated separately from an ongoing “news distortion” complaint tied to a $20 billion suit President Donald Trump filed against CBS News. Paramount has simultaneously been trimming newsroom staff and weighing settlement options, moves analysts say could ease regulatory pressure but have stirred internal unease.
Shareholder lawsuits in Delaware claim the $8 billion price undervalues Paramount and advantages insiders, adding fresh risk if the FCC timetable slips further. Even so, Paramount’s latest earnings filing reiterated that closing is expected in the first half of 2025, and management has not signaled a change in production strategy beyond the 9/12 pause.
