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21h ago

Over 1,000 Hollywood Creators Oppose Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger as Paramount Defends Plan

The backlash could sway regulators reviewing the $110 billion deal.

FILE - The Paramount Pictures water tower is seen in Los Angeles, Dec. 18, 2025, with the Hollywood sign in the distance. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
A city street stop sign is shown next to the Paramount water tower at the Paramount studio lot in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
FILE - Vehicles enter Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles on Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
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Overview

  • More than 1,000 filmmakers, actors and writers signed an open letter Monday opposing Paramount Skydance’s $110–111 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
  • The letter, posted on BlocktheMerger.com and in the New York Times, warns the deal would cut movie and TV output, eliminate jobs, and leave only four major U.S. studios, reducing choice for audiences.
  • Paramount countered with a statement saying the merger would fund more storytelling, pledging at least 30 theatrical releases a year, continued licensing, and separate creative leadership for the two studio brands.
  • The transaction is not final, with California Attorney General Rob Bonta investigating and the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority preparing a Phase 1 probe.
  • Advocacy groups including the Committee for the First Amendment, the Future Film Coalition, the Writers Guild and the Democracy Defenders Fund organized the campaign as the companies also plan to combine their streaming services into a single platform.