Florence Pugh and Pedro Pascal have joined a fast-growing campaign against Paramount Skydance’s planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, adding fresh star power to an open letter that now carries more than 2,000 signatures from actors, filmmakers, writers and producers. The protest lands days before a key April 23 shareholder vote and at a moment when U.S. and overseas regulators are already examining the $110 billion deal.
The letter argues that another wave of studio consolidation would cut creative opportunities, squeeze jobs across production and distribution, and leave audiences with fewer choices. Earlier reporting on the campaign said signatories included Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo, while market analyst Ross Benes said the letter is useful as an organizing tool for opponents, even if it may not decide the merger’s fate on its own.
Pressure is now coming from exhibitors too. At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Cinema United chief executive Michael O’Leary warned that the combination would hand too much leverage to one company over release schedules, theatrical windows and access to major film libraries. He pointed to the drop in wide releases after Disney absorbed Fox as a cautionary example, arguing that consolidation has already thinned the theatrical pipeline. Theater executive Greg Marcus also said studio concentration has helped drive ticket costs higher for audiences.
Paramount has pushed back, saying the merged company would support full theatrical releases and give creators “more avenues for their work, not fewer.” David Ellison has said the combined studio group would aim for about 30 theatrical releases a year. Supporters still exist inside the industry: James Cameron told the AP he backs the transaction and called Ellison “the right man for the job” after working with him closely in the past.
The regulatory picture remains unsettled. Reuters reported that the Justice Department has sent subpoenas as part of its antitrust review, while Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority is preparing a Phase 1 investigation and taking public comments through April 27. Glass Lewis has advised Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to support the merger, arguing the cash value is attractive, while still raising sharp concerns about executive payouts tied to the sale.
