Hollywood’s biggest names are pushing back against Paramount/Skydance‘s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth roughly $110–111 billion. To understand the scale of the acquisition, Warner Bros. Discovery owns major assets like HBO, Max, CNN, TBS, and Food Network, along with Warner Bros.’ TV and film studios, all of which would be consolidated under a Skydance-led, Paramount-backed entity if the deal goes through. The merger is still under regulatory review in the U.S. and internationally.
Merger poses threat to creative independence, letter claims
The open letter includes signatories with an esteemed repertoire in film and television, including Denis Villeneuve, J. J. Abrams, Bryan Cranston, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Damon Lindelof, Noah Wyle, Glenn Close, Jane Fonda, David Fincher, and Ted Danson, among many others. Thousands of artists, spanning A-list actors, Oscar-winning directors, showrunners, TV creators, writers, producers, and documentarians, have signed the open letter opposing the merger.
The open letter, published by industry figures, claims that the power to greenlight creative endeavors is being consolidated in the hands of fewer studios, which will create fewer jobs across production and creative sectors. The merger would effectively shrink the number of major Hollywood studios to just four.
“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 US film studios to just four,” the letter stated.
The letter further highlights that the Hollywood industry is already under “severe strain” due to earlier mergers, which have significantly decreased the number of films being produced and led to a “narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed.”
“Increasingly, a small number of powerful entities determine what gets made – and on what terms – leaving creators and independent businesses with fewer viable paths to sustain their work,” the letter added.
The letter also claims that mid-budget films are disappearing and independent distribution is collapsing, and this deal would further exacerbate the process. “Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation and the weakening of screen credit integrity.”
“Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement. Media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries – one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world,” it further stated.
The letter frames the merger as prioritizing corporate interests over the broader public good. The concern is palpable among industry heavyweights, who predict that the merger could bring layoffs, cancelled projects, and risks to creative independence. Signatories have now pinned their hopes on Rob Bonta, who is currently examining the deal, along with other lawmakers and regulators reviewing antitrust implications.
Meanwhile, Paramount CEO David Ellison claims that the merger will increase investment in films, promising more than 30 theatrical releases per year.
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