Hundreds of actors, writers, directors and producers sign Open Letter opposing Paramount-Warners deal; say: Integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be …

Hollywood is not happy with the Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery deal. More than 1,000 Hollywood actors, writers, directors and producers signed an open letter expressing “unequivocal opposition” to Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning that the merger would gut competition, eliminate jobs and shrink creative opportunities across the industry. The letter, organized by Norm Eisen's Democracy Defenders Fund and Jane Fonda's Committee for the First Amendment, carries signatures from Ben Stiller, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, David Chase, Bryan Cranston, Don Cheadle, Denis Villeneuve, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Glenn Close, among hundreds of others, many of whom currently hold active deals with one or both studios."The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised," the letter states, adding that the deal would reduce major US film studios to just four. The signatories are calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other regulators to block the transaction.The letter (shared by The Hollywood Reporter) read, “As filmmakers, documentarians, and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.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 U.S. film studios to just four.Our industry is already under severe strain, in large part due to prior waves of consolidation. We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside 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.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.Together, these factors threaten the sustainability of the entire creative community. That includes endangering the professional lives of the tens of thousands of workers who help make up that community in predominantly small businesses and independent companies embedded in local economies and communities nationwide.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.Fortunately, someone is doing something about all this. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and his colleagues in other states are reportedly scrutinizing the merger and considering legal action to block it. We are grateful for their leadership, and stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs, and ensure a vibrant future for our industry, for American culture, and for our single most significant export.Here are the names of some of the featured signatories: