Cumberbatch, Cumming, Wong urge UK to block Paramount-WB merger, warn of job losses

British actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong have joined forces to call on the UK government to block the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The trio expressed serious concerns that the deal could inflict "immense harm on the British public" by threatening jobs, jeopardizing independent filmmaking, and diminishing media diversity.

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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.

In a joint op-ed published in The Guardian, the actors appealed directly to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, urging her to intervene in the massive merger. They emphasized that the UK's film and television industry is at a critical juncture. "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," they wrote.

The actors described the merger as a significant threat to the country's creative industries. "The U.K. is being threatened by a media merger that would harm our workers, our culture and the public, but we can stop it," they stated. They welcomed Nandy's previous indication of a potential intervention and noted that a coalition of 12 U.S. states has already filed a lawsuit to block the deal, citing concerns about increased prices, reduced film production, and lower audience quality.

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The U.K. is being threatened by a media merger that would harm our workers, our culture and the public, but we can stop it.

Paramount, however, remains confident despite the legal challenges. The company has agreed to delay the completion of the takeover until a U.S. court rules on antitrust concerns. A Paramount spokesperson stated that the delay is the "fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators." Paramount CEO David Ellison has also promoted the merger as a catalyst for "cutting-edge innovation" and revitalizing the entertainment business.

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The fight against this merger now runs on two fronts, and Nandy commands one of them.

Despite the ongoing U.S. lawsuit, Cumberbatch, Cumming, and Wong stressed that Britain must make its own independent decision. They argued that the U.S. legal challenge "confirms the danger; it cannot, however, do the U.K.'s work for it." The actors concluded that the "fight against this merger now runs on two fronts," with Nandy commanding one of them. They believe her department's decision could be one of the most significant for the UK's film, television, and media sectors in a generation.

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this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators