It might seem like Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is a done deal, but that’s not necessarily the case. While David Ellison’s company managed to outmaneuver Netflix in its bid to take over the veteran studio, there are still hoops to jump through before the two megacorps will officially become one mega-megacorp. And in the time that remains before it becomes official, some of Hollywood’s biggest names in movies and TV are speaking out against it.
The statement, published on the New York Times and BlockTheMerger.com, begins as follows:
“As filmmakers, documentarians, and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries—and the audiences we serve—can least afford it. The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world. Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four.”
It continues to expand on those concerns, speak to the importance of competition, and support the efforts of California Attorney General Rob Bonta and others who have voiced legal concerns about the merger. Then, you can see all the names who’ve signed, including the immediately recognizable likes of Denis Villeneuve, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston, David Fincher, JJ Abrams, Kristen Stewart, Rose Byrne, Noah Wyle, and over 1,000 others.
Damon Lindelof (Lanterns), who’s never shy about sharing his feelings on social media, added even more context to his decision to add his name, noting that he’s worked with Ellison in the past and doesn’t have a bad impression of him.
However, he also points out that the merger will be especially harmful for the “thousands and thousands of Grips and Gaffers. Drivers and Decorators. Builders and Boom operators. Camera teams and Caterers” who will be directly impacted by the inevitable winnowing down of job opportunities.
Paramount issued a response, which Variety printed in full; while it begins with “We hear and understand the concerns that some in our creative community have raised and respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity,” it also insists that “this transaction uniquely brings together complementary strengths to create a company that can greenlight more projects, back bold ideas, support talent across multiple stages of their careers, and bring stories to audiences at a truly global scale—while strengthening competition by ensuring multiple scaled players are investing in creative talent.
We have been clear in our commitments to do just that: increasing output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases, continuing to license content, and preserving iconic brands with independent creative leadership—ensuring creators have more avenues for their work, not fewer.”
It’s easy to talk about “commitments” at this early stage, but it remains to be seen how a deal this massive will actually impact Hollywood, especially—as Lindelof puts it—the “blue-collar” workers who actually keep its machinery going. Here’s hoping the A-list stars who are speaking out now will continue to keep that in mind if the merger goes through.
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