Petition against Paramount–Warner Bros deal crosses 4,000 signatures

A growing coalition of Hollywood figures has intensified its opposition to the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, as an open petition opposing the $111 billion deal surpassed 4,000 signatures this week.

The shareholder vote by Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday (April 23) moved the transaction a step closer to approval, but the deal still requires regulatory clearance in the United States and Europe, and could face legal challenges.

The petition, launched on April 13, has drawn support from a wide cross-section of the entertainment industry, including actors, directors, writers and union members. Organisers say the list now includes more than 75 Oscar winners and nominees.

Among the latest signatories are Robert De Niro, Sofia Coppola and Holly Hunter, joining an expanding list that also features Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, Edward Norton, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart, Adam McKay, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Glenn Close and Denis Villeneuve, among others.

The open letter warns that the merger would further concentrate power within an already consolidated media industry, potentially reducing employment opportunities, increasing costs for consumers and limiting creative output.

It argues that the deal could shrink the number of major Hollywood studios to four, raising concerns about competition and industry diversity.

“As filmmakers, documentarians and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed merger,” the letter states. It adds that the transaction would lead to “fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences.”

The campaign has been coordinated by a coalition that includes the Writers Guild of America, Film Future Coalition, Democracy Defenders Fund, Jane Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment, the American Economic Liberties Project, Free Press and the International Documentary Association.

The group also staged a rally outside Warner Bros. Discovery headquarters in New York ahead of the shareholder vote and is planning further demonstrations in Washington, DC.

Political figures, including US senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, have also expressed concern over the merger, framing it as an antitrust issue. Warren said the deal “isn’t a done deal” and urged continued regulatory scrutiny.

The merger remains pending approval from regulators and could still face litigation from state attorneys general.