Stars speak out against Paramount-Warner's $111B merger in open letter
· Toronto Sun
More than a thousand Hollywood heavyweights — from actors to directors to writers — are speaking out against a massive proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.
In an open letter published Monday, a who’s who of the film industry — including Denis Villeneuve , Kristen Stewart , J.J. Abrams and Joaquin Phoenix — voiced their “unequivocal opposition” to the proposed $111-billion deal. According to The Associated Press , the group argues the merger would shrink an already-struggling industry, cutting jobs and limiting creative output.
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“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,” the letter, posted on BlocktheMerger.com , states. “Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four.”
What makes backlash striking is who’s signing it
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter , many of the critics have direct ties to the very companies involved. Abrams, for example, has an active deal with Warner Bros. through Bad Robot. Villeneuve is set to release Dune 3 with the studio later this year. Even Jason Bateman, currently starring in an HBO series, is part of the chorus pushing back.
The deal itself is enormous. Per AP , Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison reached an agreement in late February to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, marking one of the largest mergers in entertainment history. The proposal still needs shareholder approval and a regulatory green light. It also beat out a competing bid from Netflix after months of negotiations.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum
Hollywood has already been reshaped by consolidation in recent years, most notably when The Walt Disney Company acquired 20th Century Fox for $71.3 billion in 2019, per AP .
Ellison has tried to calm fears, promising to keep Paramount and Warner Bros. operating as separate studios and to release a combined 30 films annually in theatres. The company has acknowledged there will be job cuts due to overlapping roles, but insists the merger will ultimately “strengthen the overall job market.”
Ellison also said he plans to “honour the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company,” NBC News reports.
Many in Hollywood aren’t buying it
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” the letter continues. “The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised.”
The effort is being led in part by advocacy groups, including the Committee for the First Amendment — a free speech organization headed by Jane Fonda . She warned the merger “would be one of the most destructive threats to free speech and creative expression in our history,” according to NBC News .
Per Variety , the list of supporters reads like an awards show guest list: Mark Ruffalo , Adam McKay, Alan Cumming , Elliot Page, Glenn Close , Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ted Danson, among many others.
‘They’re all about to get f—ed’
On Monday, Damon Lindelof, creator of Watchmen , shared his thoughts on Instagram . He admitted he actually likes Ellison, calling him a “bright, ambitious and passionate” executive who “loved movies and trusted the people he made them with.”
Lindelof said he signed the letter because of what the merger could mean for the everyday workers who keep Hollywood running — what he called its “blue-collar town” backbone.
“It’s thousands and thousands of Grips and Gaffers. Drivers and Decorators,” he wrote. “Builders and Boom operators. Camera teams and Caterers. And they’re all about to get f—ed. Hollywood mergers mean fewer movies and fewer TV shows and that means fewer jobs. When two storied backlots are owned by the same company, the outcome is intuitive — one becomes a Ghost Town.”
Staying silent isn’t an option for Lindelof
“I’m scared. But I’m not a ghost. And a fight is already lost if it’s never fought. So I signed. Proudly. I understand why many of my peers have not — trust me, I’m more of a puker than a stormer. But these boats are heading for the beach whether we like it or not…”
So far, representatives for Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery haven’t responded to requests for comment on the letter.