Chinese real estate and entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group has held talks with Viacom Inc about acquiring a minority stake in its Paramount Pictures unit, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Wanda's interest adds new urgency to deliberations over Paramount's future, which has become the flashpoint of a bitter row between Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and the company's controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone.

Wanda, which bought production company Legendary Entertainment in January, has been trying to expand its US movie business.