Celebrities Call for Merger Block
Cumberbatch, Cumming, Wong Urge UK to Block Paramount-WBD Merger Citing Industry Threat
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Key Points
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Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have paused the merger until June 2027 amid ongoing antitrust actions.
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Twelve U.S. states, led by California, filed a federal antitrust lawsuit to block the deal, arguing it would raise prices, shrink the number of films made and degrade the quality of what audiences see.
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Paramount's chief executive reportedly told Donald Trump, the current president, that he would make “sweeping changes” to CNN if the merger went through.
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The Guardian op-ed notes that the European Union has conditionally backed the merger, while UK Secretary of State Lisa Nandy is positioned to intervene and is expected to decide after Parliament returns from the summer break.
Three of Britain's most recognizable actors — Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong — are calling on UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to block a $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. In a Guardian op-ed, the trio warned the deal would be "disastrous" for the British screen industry and urged Nandy to launch a formal public-interest investigation before it's too late, according to The Wrap.
The merger, which would create one of the largest media empires in history, has already received conditional approval from the European Union. But the actors say the UK still has a chance to act. "We can stop it," they wrote — pointing to Nandy's legal power to intervene before Parliament returns from its summer break, according to Coming Soon.
UK Screen Industry Jobs and Culture at Stake
The three actors argued the merger threatens thousands of UK jobs and the country's broader cultural identity. Their op-ed warned that consolidating two major studios could shrink the number of independent films made, reduce financing options for British productions, and weaken Channel 5, which is owned by Paramount, according to We Are Resonate.
The deal also raises serious concerns about news plurality. Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery together control major news outlets including 5 News, CNN International, and CBS News. The actors warned that putting all of those under one roof could concentrate too much editorial power in too few hands, according to Head Topics.
Paramount CEO's Reported CNN Promise to Trump Raises Alarm
A key flashpoint in the debate is a reported conversation between Paramount's chief executive and US President Donald Trump. According to the op-ed, the CEO allegedly told Trump he would make "sweeping changes" to CNN if the merger went through. That claim has added urgency to calls for UK oversight, according to The Wrap.
Critics say the disclosure shows how the merger could blur the line between business deals and editorial independence. If a CEO is promising a sitting president changes to a major news network to smooth a merger, that is precisely the kind of threat that public-interest rules are designed to stop, according to Coming Soon.
Twelve US States Sue to Block the Deal Outright
The UK actors are not alone in their opposition. Twelve US states, led by California, filed a federal antitrust lawsuit to stop the merger. The lawsuit argues the deal would raise prices for consumers, reduce the number of films produced, and lower the quality of what audiences see, according to Yahoo Finance.
Because of that legal pressure, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have paused the merger until June 2027. That pause gives regulators on both sides of the Atlantic more time to act. But the actors stressed that the UK window could close fast once Parliament returns from its summer recess, according to We Are Resonate.
Nandy Must Decide — and the Clock Is Ticking
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has the legal power to order a public-interest investigation into the merger's impact on media plurality and public service broadcasting. The actors' op-ed says she has already "opened the door" to intervention. Now they want her to walk through it, according to Head Topics.
The EU gave its conditional green light, but the UK operates its own media rules and is not bound by that decision. With Parliament returning from the summer break soon, a decision from Nandy is expected shortly. The actors made clear they see this as a defining moment for British culture and press freedom, according to Yahoo Finance.
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