A coalition of prominent actors, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong, have publicly urged the UK government to intervene and prevent Paramount's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The actors, known for their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, penned an open letter to UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy, calling the deal "dangerous" and warning of a potential "TV and cinema calamity."
Their appeal follows reports that the deal, which saw Netflix initially express interest before withdrawing, is progressing through regulatory reviews in various countries. While the U.S. Justice Department has approved the merger, a legal challenge from 12 states has created a significant roadblock. However, regulatory bodies in the European Union, China, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Brazil have already given the buyout their approval. The UK remains one of the few countries where the deal is still under formal review, alongside Japan and India.
The actors highlighted concerns about potential job losses, citing a history of mergers and consolidation leading to redundancies within the creative industries. They pointed to the UK film industry's significant economic contribution, supporting over 180,000 jobs and generating substantial production spend and economic value. "Every merger of this kind narrows the funnel through which stories can reach audiences," the letter states, arguing that consolidation could limit the breadth and depth of produced work.
Beyond employment, the actors raised alarms about the potential impact on news independence and impartiality, particularly concerning CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros. They fear that concentrated ownership could lead to reduced plurality of views and fewer independent media enterprises. "One owner controlling this much of the news, and the truth, endangers the public in a way no ordinary consolidation does," the letter emphasizes, noting that a single company's commercial interests or political debts could influence what millions of people see.
The actors referenced past consolidation events, such as the 2022 merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia, which resulted in shelved projects and job cuts, and the Skydance merger with Paramount, which led to approximately 2,000 layoffs. They cautioned that the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which involves a substantial leveraged buyout estimated at $84 billion in debt, could lead to similar outcomes, including reduced film commissions and fewer risks taken in content creation.
The UK culture secretary has previously indicated she was "minded to intervene" in the deal, citing the need for a sufficient plurality of views in news media, potential impacts on streaming services, content homogenization, and children's television. The actors' letter aims to encourage her to act on these concerns and determine that the merger is not in the public interest.
The timeline for the completion of the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal remains uncertain, with the ongoing antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. and potential further reviews by other countries, including the UK, potentially delaying or altering its outcome.