A coalition of advocacy groups filed an emergency request Thursday morning asking a federal judge in California to allow outside parties to formally oppose Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The motion, filed in the federal court of California, asks Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín for leave to submit an amicus brief — a legal mechanism that lets interested parties present arguments in a case. Judge Martínez-Olguín is still deciding whether to approve the deal, and a hearing is set for 11am today to address what the court described as "certain outstanding questions" over the merger.

The filing comes from the Block the Merger coalition, whose participants include The Committee for the First Amendment, Free Press, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Future Film Coalition and the International Documentary Association.

In a statement, the coalition said it is asking Judge Martínez-Olguín "to grant interested parties the opportunity to formally oppose the weak and unenforceable consent decree that state attorneys general entered into with Paramount on Monday."

That consent decree settled an antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 state attorneys general, a case that had been set for a March 2027 trial. Under the settlement terms, Paramount committed to release at least 30 movies a year, to set up an independent editorial board overseeing the CNN and CBS News operations, and to hold on to the Paramount Studios or Warner Bros. lots in California for at least five years.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the settlement terms "very strong."

The coalition disagrees. "Hundreds of thousands of people across the country called on state attorneys general to enforce the law and to protect consumers, workers and free speech," said Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González, co-counsel on the motion. "The weak and unenforceable deal the AGs struck with Paramount leaves us in the lurch. We deserve our day in court."

Block the Merger said Judge Martínez-Olguín may also rule on its motion during today's hearing. The outcome will determine whether the merger — one of the largest media consolidations in recent memory — clears its final legal hurdle with or without further challenge from press freedom and film industry groups.