African-American and Hispanic chambers urge AG to stop fighting Paramount deal

The chambers’ are following a similar push from Democrats in Hudson County, where Paramount is the anchor tenant of 1888 Studios, a 1.6 million-square foot production campus under development in Bayonne

September 14, 2026

1888 STUDIOS GROUND BREAKING — Elected officials join in 1888 Studios groundbreaking

New Jersey’s African-American and Hispanic statewide chambers are urging Attorney General Jennifer Davenport to withdraw from a lawsuit challenging Paramount-Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.

“New Jersey has worked too hard—and invested too much public policy and taxpayer resources—to establish itself as a national center for film, television and the broader creative economy to allow litigation to jeopardize an opportunity of this magnitude,” John Harmon, CEO of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, said in an op-ed posted this month on the group’s website.

The chambers’ comments follow a similar push from Democrats in Hudson County, where Paramount is the anchor tenant of 1888 Studios, a 1.6 million-square foot production campus under development in Bayonne. Former Governor Phil Murphy and local Democratic officials broke ground on the project in December 2025.

Murphy pushed hard for New Jersey to develop its film industry, bringing back big tax credits as incentives. Filmmakers spent $834 million in 2024 in New Jersey, surpassing the previous record of $701 million in 2022.

Paramount has said its deal received approval from regulators in 65 countries and is being held up by the lawsuit from the AGs as well as one from the Writers Guild of America.

1888 Studios “represents the most consequential economic development opportunity Hudson County has seen in half a century,” the county representatives wrote in an Aug. 31 op-ed published in the New Jersey Globe. “We are increasingly concerned that New Jersey taxpayer dollars are being committed to litigation whose merits appear uncertain while its potential costs to the State and to our economy continue to escalate.”

The op-ed was signed by state Senators Raj Mukherj, Brian Stack and Angela McKnight; state Assembly members Jerry Walker, William Sampson, Ravi Bhalla, Katie Brennan, Larry Wainstein and Gabriel Rodriguez; Hudson County executive Craig Guy and Bayonne Mayor Sharon Ashe-Nadowski.

Hudson County is the most densely populated county in New Jersey and it has the highest concentration of Latino residents.

“Main Street businesses that make film production possible, like construction, transportation, hospitality, and food services, will benefit as this industry expands in NJ,” said John Lucas, CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity our community has organized for decades to secure, and it should not be put at risk by litigation that continues to impose mounting costs on the state.”

Davenport, appointed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in July filing a lawsuit challenging the combination of Paramount and Warner, saying it would result in higher prices, lower content quality, and fewer movies and TV shows.

“We won’t allow corporate monopolists to upend the film and television industry, exploit New Jersey consumers, and drive up their cable bills and the cost of movie tickets,” Davenport said in July.

Her media office had no response to the chambers’ comments.