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The premiere of South Park’s 27th season remains in jeopardy as contract negotiations between show creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and studio owner, Skydance, remain stalled.
The original premiere date was set for earlier this month, but has been pushed back by two weeks to July 23.
South Park has aired on Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount, since season 1 premiered in 1997. The show is owned by Paramount and a company called South Park Digital Studios, which Parker and Stone run.
The animated show is produced by Park County, the creator’s other entertainment company.
South Park is one of the most profitable Paramount shows and has been for years. Park County signed a lucrative deal with Paramount in 2007, which provided them with 50 percent of streaming revenue.
The streaming deals signed by Park County expired on June 30.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the show’s delay and legal drama surrounding it:
Why Did Trey Parker and Matt Stone Hire High-Power Attorney?
Paramount had a deal to extend the current contract with Parker and Stone’s company, but issues came about due to a company merger.
Skydance is in the process of finalizing a deal to purchase Paramount for $8 billion.
The merger had been on pause due to a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against CBS’ 60 Minutes, which Paramount owns, that was recently resolved.
The Hollywood Reporter said the deal Paramount and Park County agreed to was a 10-year overall deal that would have “more than triple the valuation of the current deal that expires in 2027.”
“I think that Paramount pre-acquisition was interested in a broader range of possibilities than would have been approved by Skydance and Redbird,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter.
Skydance has refused to agree to the terms of the deal. The studio owner said it had the authority to approve deals despite the merger still being in the process of being finalized.
On July 14, a rep for Park County said, “There is no resolution at this time, but all involved recognize the need for a quick, positive resolution.”
The outlet reported that Stone and Parker have hired powerhouse attorney Bryan Freedman to represent them in the matter. They are also represented by Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Kevin Morris.
One source said Park County’s position is that Skydance has no authority to make decisions until the merger is closed.
“We hereby demand that you, Redbird, and Skydance immediately cease your interference,” a lawyer from Park County wrote in a letter. “If these activities continue, we will have no choice but to act to both protect our rights and discharge any obligations we may have to the public.”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone Broke Their Silence on ‘South Park’ Delay
Last month, Stone and Parker spoke out about the situation on social media.
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“This merger is a s***show and it’s f***ing up South Park. We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow,’” a message from South Park’s official account said.
Earlier this year, Parker and Stone threatened legal action against Jeff Shell, the man who will become Paramount’s president if the merger goes through, for allegedly attempting to interfere with deals with other companies.
A spokesperson for Skydance told The Hollywood Reporter that it had the right to approve contracts under the terms of the transaction agreement.
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