In a purely Made In Hollywood irony, one arm of the California government is helping Paramount‘s MAGA backed and legally challenged $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery as the state Attorney General leads an antitrust lawsuit to shut David Ellison‘s big dream down.

As Deadline told you last week, Ellison could find some success for his merger by s little spreading of the wealth locally with Los Angeles-based production and jobs. On cue, the California Film Commission today announced that the Alice Silverstone starring Clueless series and EGOT superstar Viola Davis‘ corporate fixer Ascent series have been allocated nearly $38 million in Golden State tax incentives.

Overall, in a move even the critical Spencer Pratt might applaud, Gavin Newsom‘s now $750 million annually credits program handed out $145 million to nine series Monday. As you can see, with the Jamie Lee Curtis EP’d Newlyweds making its debut, new seasons of Sony TV’s S.W.A.T. Exiles, Universal’s David Boreanaz-led revival of The Rockford Files, and Netflix’s Love Come Softly are in the mx as are the streamer’s Untitled Florida project, Disney’s Untitled DET Project 51 (Disney Entertainment Television) and the self-explanatory Untitled Amazon project. All of which is anticipated to add up to $608 million in spending in the state over a total of over 1,000 film days.

To put a finer point on the Paramount payout specifically, Clueless was awarded just over $16.3 million in credits, and Ascent got $21 million. Estimated to employ over 300 and 250 crew members alone respectively, once they kick off in 2027, the two new Paramount shows are projected to inject $69.4 million and $47 million in what the CFC called “qualified expenditures” into the L.A. economy.

All of which, along with the fate of David Ellison’s big boy merer, isn’t bad for a town where over 40,000 jobs have bee lost over the past few years, numerous industry adjacent business and vendors have shuttered, empty soundstages are collecting dust and production has fled overseas and out of state.

Here’s some more math for the nine named projects you can quote at parties, guild gatherings and board meetings:

But don’t believe us — listen to Silverstone and Davis.

“I am overwhelmingly excited about this journey with the great John Logan.” Ascent lead and EP Davis said today. “We won the lottery with this one!

Davis added: “Work in which both story and character are bold, awe inspiring and deeply unique is why I became an artist,” “Also, doing what I do is made greater or worse by being able to have the balance of my life as a mom. So, to be given the California Tax Credit is more than the ‘cherry on top;’ it’s a lifeline for me and a countless number of cast and crew. We at JuVee are deeply grateful to John Logan, Michael Aguilar, Paramount and the California Film Commission. We are ready to create magic!”

“I’m so grateful that Clueless gets to tell Cher’s next chapter in the city where her story began,” Silverstone said of the return of her character and the tale from the 1990s hit flick. “Los Angeles has been through so much over the past several years, but the city is resilient. When productions stay here, it supports thousands of artists, crew members, craftspeople, and small businesses who make this city what it is. Clueless belongs in Los Angeles. You simply can’t recreate this city anywhere else, and I’m excited to bring Cher home. The fact that it’s also my home and I will get to stay close to my son is an added gift.” 

Which is another way of saying Chrismukkah came a bit early this year for some and for the industry.

Of course, with that, as CA AG Rob Bonta made clear in a guest column for Deadline Monday, Paramount is still facing an antitrust trial next spring that could see the whole ParaBros dream disappear in a puff of judicial smoke.

And yes, we’ve been actively resisting tossing a TOLDJA! out there for old times sake!

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