Over a thousand professionals from the film industry, including actors, writers, and directors, have expressed their strong opposition to the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery in an open letter released on Monday.
Notable figures from the entertainment sector, such as Denis Villeneuve, Kristen Stewart, J.J. Abrams, and Joaquin Phoenix, have voiced their concerns regarding the $111 billion agreement intended to merge two historic studios. They argue that this consolidation would lead to a further decrease in job opportunities and film productions in an already contracting Hollywood landscape.
The letter, published on BlocktheMerger.com, states, “The outcome will be diminished opportunities for creators, fewer jobs within the production network, increased costs, and limited choices for audiences both in the United States and globally. Disturbingly, this merger would reduce the major U.S. film studios to only four.”
In late February, David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, marking one of the largest mergers in the media industry to date. The agreement is pending a vote from shareholders later this month, as well as regulatory approval. Paramount’s agreement followed extensive negotiations and a competing offer from Netflix that ultimately did not succeed.
This merger is part of a trend of significant consolidations in Hollywood, with the 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion being one of the most notable examples.
Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, has promised to maintain Paramount and Warner Bros. as independent film studios and aims to produce a combined total of 30 theatrical releases annually. However, while the merger is expected to lead to job cuts due to overlapping roles, Paramount argues that the union of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will ultimately enhance the job market.
Despite this assertion, many industry professionals fear that the merger will lead to significant job losses and a concentration of industry power.
The letter expresses, “We are profoundly concerned by the support for this merger that seems to prioritize the interests of a select few influential stakeholders over the general public interest. The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be severely compromised.”
A coalition of advocacy organizations, including the Committee for the First Amendment, led by Jane Fonda, the Democracy Defenders Fund, and the Future Film Coalition, coordinated the letter. Other prominent signers include Ben Stiller, Don Cheadle, Javier Bardem, Lily Gladstone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tiffany Haddish, and Ted Danson.
On the same day, Damon Lindelof, a signatory and the creator of “Watchmen” and co-creator of “Lost,” shared his thoughts on Instagram. Lindelof, who has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, stated, “Hollywood mergers result in fewer movies and TV shows, which translates to fewer jobs. When two historic studios are under the same ownership, it’s intuitive that one will become a Ghost Town. I’m concerned. However, I refuse to be a ghost. A battle is lost if it’s never fought.”
At the time of this report, representatives from Paramount and Warner Bros. had not responded to requests for comments regarding the open letter.
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