Former Paramount Distribution Chief Sues Studio Over Millions in Pay

Chris Aronson, a former domestic distribution chief at Paramount Pictures, has filed a lawsuit against the studio, claiming he is owed millions of dollars in compensation after being let go last September as part of a round of layoffs shortly after its merger with Skydance Media.

Aronson’s attorney, Barry Kaufman, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the complaint was filed with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County on August 20 but has not yet been formally processed. ‘I have not even received back a conformed copy of the Complaint and the associated documents from the court confirming that it was accepted for filing,’ Kaufman added.

Aronson, who had been with the studio since 2019 and had overseen the theatrical distribution efforts on titles like Top Gun: Maverick, as well as multiple Mission: Impossible, Sonic the Hedgehog, and A Quiet Place installments, claims that he was summoned to a meeting with new Paramount co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein on September 29, last year. The duo informed him that he was terminated ‘without cause,’ and that Greenstein assured him that Paramount would ‘pay you everything you’re owed under your contract’ and ‘added words to the effect that ‘you’re worth every penny.’

According to the complaint, the remaining salary and incentive compensation under the agreement had an estimated value approaching $3.9 million. When the value of lost employment benefits and related compensation components is included, Aronson’s projected economic damages exceed $4 million.

Aronson claims that he was also informed that Paramount intended to ‘downgrade the position’ he was occupying. Shortly after the timeline Aronson outlines, Paramount announced in November that it hired Shaun Barber, who spent 18 years at Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment handling such blockbuster franchises like John Wick, The Hunger Games, and Twilight, as its new domestic distribution chief.

At the time of his layoff, Aronson was 69 years old. The executive’s complaint states that as part of his termination process, he received disclosure data related to broader layoffs at the company and his own independently commissioned analysis found a statistical pattern of age discrimination. That included layoffs of 62 employees aged 40 years or older and 30 staffers under the age of 40. Aronson claims that Paramount’s HR department was aware of age-related impacts of its employment moves made for business strategy reasons.

Aronson had joined Paramount in 2019 after running distribution at 20th Century Fox prior to the Disney acquisition of Fox studio assets. His contract was renewed in 2022 by Paramount and again in 2025, months before he was terminated.

Aronson’s complaint also claims that Paramount not only terminated the role but ‘abruptly ended what reasonably appeared to be the final chapter of a distinguished career in theatrical distribution.’

Paramount declined comment on the suit.