Hollywood stars sign an open letter for the opposition of the Paramount-Warner merger

CinemaCon buzzes on Paramount-Warner

It had been a dramatic few months of Warner Bros. dancing around offers from both Netflix and Paramount. Paramount became the victor and David Ellison had immediately announced that he plans to release 30 films a year from both studios. With CinemaCon bringing studios and theater exhibitors together, there is buzz and anticipation on how the mega studio will present themselves this week. Many are speculating whether they are able to make good on their claim.

According to Deadline, a rival studio is saying, “They’ll have $79 billion in debt, and the only way they’ll be able to get out of that is not by putting movies simply on Paramount+, but by releasing them theatrically.”

Hollywood stars get the ball rolling on opposing the merger

Deadline also reports that there is a growing number of industry figures who are coming out against the merger of the two studios. An open letter in opposition has been written and posted on the site Blockthemerger.com. The letter has addressed,

We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good. 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. 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.”

So far, the stars who have signed the letter include JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, Adam McKay, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Keener, David Chase, Emma Thompson, Don Cheadle, James Schamus, Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Noah Wyle, Tiffany Haddish, Mark Duplass, Joaquin Phoenix and Lily Gladstone. Per Deadline, “More than 1,000 performers, creatives and other industry professionals signed the letter, which was organized by groups including the Committee for the First Amendment, the Future Film Coalition, the Writers Guild of America and the Democracy Defenders Fund.”

Damon Lindelof’s personal post

Damon Lindelof would post on his Instagram why he added his name to the opposition and why he had been afraid to publicly announce his involvement. The post would read, “I’m scared. But I’m not a ghost. And a fight is already lost if it’s never fought. So I signed. Proudly. I understand why many of my peers have not — trust me, I’m more of a puker than a stormer. But these boats are heading for the beach whether we like it or not… The only thing we have any control over is what we do when we get there.” You can read his whole post below.

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