Hollywood actors send letter opposing Paramount‑Warner merger.
A coalition of more than 1,000 industry professionals, including Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, Glenn Close, Ben Stiller, Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villeneuve, and David Chase, issued an open letter on Monday expressing opposition to Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The letter, posted on the Block the Merger website, cautioned that the merger would increase media concentration, reduce competition, and harm jobs, creators, and audience choice. Signatories cited concerns that the deal would leave only four major U.S. film studios and threaten independent filmmaking and distribution.
The transaction was finalized in late February, after Paramount Skydance outbid Netflix for control of Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns Warner Bros., HBO, and networks such as CNN. Paramount Skydance’s CEO David Ellison said the company would honor the legacy of the two brands while building a new media enterprise.
Regulators are reviewing the merger. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has stated the deal is not finalized, and the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division has denied a fast‑track approval. The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority has announced the beginning of a formal review of the merger’s impact on competition.