The star-studded opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger continues to grow, with Hollywood big-wigs Florence Pugh and Pedro Pascal joining over 2,000 industry professionals in signing an open letter against the deal.
Newly added signatories like Edward Norton and Atsuko Okatsuka have bolstered the movement, which was released on April 13.
They join original high-profile supporters, including Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, and Kristen Stewart in voicing concerns over the massive media consolidation.
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” the letter states. “The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised. Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement.”
It was in late February that Paramount Skydance announced its intended $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after a battle with Netflix for ownership of the historic studio.
Paramount issued a lengthy statement in response to the letter. “We hear and understand the concerns that some in our creative community have raised and respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity,” the statement said.
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The response added, “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.”
The original list of signatories also included Adam McKay, Alan Cumming, Alyssa Milano, Boots Riley, Bryan Cranston, Cynthia Nixon, Damon Lindelof, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, Elliot Page, Glenn Close, Jane Fonda, JJ Abrams, Jason Bateman, John Leguizamo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Margaret Cho, Mark Ruffalo, Noah Wyle, Patti Lupone, Ramy Youssef, Rosario Dawson, Rosie O’Donnell, Ted Danson, Tiffany Haddish, Tig Notaro, Yorgos Lanthimos and Yvette Nicole Brown, among others.
Advocating against the deal, Jane Fonda sported a “Block the Merger” pin at the Oscars this March.
“We know Trump wants to hurt… we have to stop [it]. The Paramount merger is really problematic. In order to get the permission to do the merger, they felt they had to cave to what Trump wanted. But we’re going to win,” Fonda had said.
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