In recent months, the audiovisual industry in the United States is going through an unprecedented crisis to which a new chapter was added today. After it was confirmed at the beginning of the year that Warner studios had accepted the purchase offer presented by Paramount Skydance To the detriment of what Netflix had proposed, it was expected that the acquisition process would advance so that the Ellison family, owners of Paramount, could get the transaction approved by regulatory entities not only in the United States but also in the different territories where the Warner conglomerate operates.
Of course, while these efforts were getting underway and the Ellisons were announcing their projects for the new mega studio and the possibility of uniting the platforms Paramount+ and HBO Max, a resistance movement began to emerge from the top of Hollywood. The first public result of this initiative is the open letter published today in the newspaper The New York Timesamong other North American media, signed by some of the most prominent names in the film and TV industry.
Joaquin Phoenix, Jane Fonda, Kristen Stewart, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston and Javier Bardemamong many others, are some of the actors who signed the statement, which also includes some of the most prominent creative voices in today’s Hollywood such as directors and producers David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, JJ Abrams, Yorgos Lanthimos and David Chase. Beyond the notable strength that many of those ascribed to the letter display in Hollywood, it is also striking that some of the signatories such as Abrams, Villeneuve and Chase have contractual ties with Warner.
In total, more than a thousand members of the industry, including artists and technicians, signed the text that expresses “strong opposition” to the merger. “We are deeply concerned about the support for this merger that prioritizes the interests of a small and powerful group of shareholders over the common good of the general public.. The integrity, independence and diversity of our industry will be severely compromised. “Competition is an essential part of a healthy economy and democracy,” can be read in the text also available on the page. https://blockthemerger.com/openletterwhere the complete list of signatories appears.
“As filmmakers, documentary filmmakers and professionals from all areas of film and television, we write this letter to express our unanimous and resounding opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. This transaction will deepen the concentration that already exists in our industry, reducing competition at a time when both we and the audiences we work for can least afford.. The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, less work for the entire spectrum of the production ecosystem, higher costs and fewer options for North American and global audiences. We find it alarming that this merger means reducing the number of American film studios to only four. Our industry is already under severe pressure. We witnessed how the number of films produced and released declined, in addition to the limitation of the type of stories that were told. Increasingly, a small group of powerful entities determines what is done and what terms, leaving independent creators and producers with fewer options to support their work,” says the text, which has not yet received an official response from Paramount or Warner.
The open letter concludes by mentioning that “fortunately, someone is doing something about all of this” in reference to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is investigating the transaction and considering legal remedies to block it. “We are grateful for his leadership. We stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs and ensure the best future for our industry, American culture and our most significant export.”
