Cumberbatch, Cumming, Wong spearhead opposition to Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong have appealed to the UK government over the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger — but what exactly are they asking for?
The push is coming from inside the industry. In a Guardian op-ed and a letter to the U.K.’s culture secretary, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong urged the government to step in on the proposed tie-up between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing it would concentrate too much power and squeeze the kinds of projects that keep crews and stages busy in Britain.
What the actors argue
The trio say the deal would ripple far beyond movie lots. They point to news ownership and financing for smaller films as flashpoints, and warn that everyday working people on sets would feel the brunt.
- Predicted fallout: layoffs and canceled productions
- Fewer films and TV shows being commissioned
- Studios taking fewer creative risks, hurting independents
- Greater consolidation in news publishing and broadcasting
They also flag the potential news footprint of a combined company. Paramount owns CBS in the U.S. and the U.K. broadcaster Channel 5; if the merger proceeds, they note, CNN and CNN International would sit under the same corporate umbrella.
“As actors and public figures who have spent our careers in the arts in Britain — working with British crews, on British stages and sets — we have a responsibility to the public who support, enjoy and consume the art we make.”
The letter is addressed to Lisa Nandy, the U.K. culture secretary. The actors acknowledge, though, that the main call will rest with the country’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is already reviewing the deal.
Where the deal stands
Across the Atlantic, the proposal has drawn resistance in the U.S., including opposition from a coalition of 12 states, according to reports. Paramount has reportedly decided not to seek to close the merger until after an antitrust trial plays out.
In Europe, the deal has reportedly cleared the European Commission with conditions. In the U.K., the CMA review is ongoing, and Nandy has indicated she’s willing to engage with the issue.