Overview
- An industry coalition released an open letter Monday opposing Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, posting it on BlocktheMerger.com after the New York Times publicized it.
- The signers warn the merger would reduce competition, cut jobs, shrink creative options, and leave the U.S. with only four major film studios.
- Support in the letter centers on scrutiny by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general, while the U.K. antitrust watchdog expects to open a Phase 1 review in the coming weeks.
- Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison, agreed in late February to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for about $111 billion, with a shareholder vote and government reviews still pending.
- Ellison has pledged to keep both studios operating separately and to target 30 theatrical releases a year with defined cinema-to-PVOD windows, a promise many creatives doubt after past consolidation reduced mid-budget films and independent distributors.