Jane Fonda, David Fincher, Kristen Stewart, Joaquin Phoenix and more than 1,000 other celebrities spoke out against Paramount taking over Warner Bros.

More than one thousand directors, actors, producers and film and television industry professionals published an open letter on April 13 opposing the proposed Warner Bros. merger. Discovery with Paramount Skydance.

According to the letter's authors, the deal would reduce industry jobs, increase costs and limit choice for viewers around the world. “What is particularly troubling is that this merger will reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four,” the letter said.

The authors of the message noted that previous waves of consolidation have already put pressure on the industry: because of this, the number of films produced and released has decreased, and there are fewer stories that receive financing and distribution.

We are deeply concerned that support for this merger demonstrates the primacy of the interests of a small circle of powerful interests over the public good. As a result, the integrity, independence and diversity of our industry could be seriously compromised.

The letter was signed by Jane Fonda, David Fincher, Kristen Stewart, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Thompson, Denis Villeneuve, Glenn Close, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo, among others.

Paramount and Warner Bros. There has been no comment on this yet.

• Paramount Skydance previously offered nearly $110 billion to buy out media holding Warner Bros. Discovery. The proposed agreement would bring together two of Hollywood's largest studios and content libraries, as well as streaming platforms Paramount+ and HBO Max. The companies plan to combine their streaming services into a single platform.
• Regulators in the US and Europe are expected to scrutinize the deal, assessing how it will impact consumers and the creative community. California prosecutors said they are investigating the proposed deal.
• For the assets of Warner Bros. Paramount and Netflix battled for months. Netflix initially offered to buy out Warner Bros. and streaming HBO Max for almost $83 billion, but ultimately gave up the fight, losing to Paramount, which offered a larger sum.