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NEW YORK (AP) -- Twelve states challenged Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday, filing a lawsuit that argues the $81 billion mega merger would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and threaten jobs across the industry.

LOS ANGELES -- Park Pictures has extended its relationship with music video and commercial director Jake Erland, adding him to its U.S. roster. This marks his first U.S. representation. Erland continues to be repped by Park Pictures, London. Through his expressive camera movement and cinematic world-building, Erland’s films bring the emotional life of a story to the forefront. These skills have made him a sought-after director for some of today’s most exciting artists.

NEW YORK -- Versus has promoted Marc Fusco from sr. producer to head of production. In his new role, he will oversee production operations across the studio, partnering with creative, strategy and client teams to evolve production workflows, strengthen collaboration and support Versus’ continued growth. “I’ve admired how Marc engages with people and with creative for years,” said Rob Meyers, partner and managing director at Versus.

NEW YORK -- Giant Spoon has signed former Droga5 creative Haywood Watkins III as executive creative director and Gage Young as creative director, following a series of new business wins since the agency joined forces with Wpromote as Wpromote x Giant Spoon. Watkins III and Young will report directly to Giant Spoon chief creative officer Ian Grody, further bolstering creative strategy and execution for Giant Spoon’s roster of clients, which includes: Autodesk, Lucid Motors, and Ritual.

MUNICH -- ARRI, a premium manufacturer of camera and lighting technology for motion picture and live entertainment, has entered into an agreement to sell its global rental activities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America to H2 Equity Partners. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Illumination Dynamics will remain part of ARRI and is not included in the transaction. The divestiture is a planned and significant element of ARRI’s long-term strategic development.

LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK (AP) -- A new album from Steve Lacy and the conclusion of the “Heartstopper” series are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Lucky,” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, the game “D-topia” and “The Hawk,” which stars Will Ferrell as a golfing great well past his prime.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury's determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawyers will provide their arguments related to the appeal in subsequent court filings.

Apple China’s new iPhone privacy campaign enters its fourth year, continuing the collaboration with Crosstalk comedian Yue Yun Peng. The new work includes a 55-second social film and a 30-second ad directed by Zhang Dapeng for TBWA\Media Arts Lab in Shanghai. The central creative idea: a newly downloaded app takes human form, engaging in playful banter with Yun Peng across a series of everyday life moments.

PARIS & BARCELONA -- Havas has acquired MUT, a Barcelona-based leader in impact-driven experiential marketing and sustainable events. The acquisition strengthens Havas’ experiential marketing offering in Spain and enhances the Group’s ability to help clients engage audiences through brand experiences and live events. Founded in 2010 by CEO Nacho Gómez, MUT is a 30-strong team with a proven track record of delivering high-impact projects.

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Meta has pulled the plug on a feature of a recently launched AI tool following criticism that it made Instagram accounts fodder for use in creating AI-generated images. The move on Friday came less than a week after the parent of Instagram and Facebook rolled out Muse Image, its first image-generation model available through the company’s artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI.