Jon Blistein
Contact Jon Blistein by Email View all posts by Jon Blistein April 13, 2026
Kristen Stewart, Ben Stiller, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have signed a letter opposing Paramount's proposed acqusition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Gilbert Flores/Variety; Adela Loconte/Variety; Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images An array of Hollywood A-listers, including Kristen Stewart, Ben Stiller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jane Fonda, have signed an open letter stating their “unequivocal opposition” to Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The letter, which has over 1,000 signatories, says the merger would “further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it.” It claims the merger, which would reduce the number major Hollywood studios four, would lead to fewer jobs, creative opportunities, and choices for audiences, while also causing costs to rise.
“Our industry is already under severe strain, in large part due to prior waves of consolidation,” the letter states. “We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside a narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed. Increasingly, a small number of powerful entities determine what gets made — and on what terms — leaving creators and independent businesses with fewer viable paths to sustain their work.”
The letter boasts the signatures of an array of big name actors like Bryan Cranston, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Glenn Close, Javier Bardem, John Cusack, Lily Gladstone, Patti Lupone, Noah Wyle, Rose Byrne, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Tiffany Haddish, Marisa Tomei, Jason Bateman, Heather Graham, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Rosario Dawson, Elliot Page, and Alyssa Milano. Several top-tier writers and directors signed as well, including David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, Adam McKay, JJ Abrams, Daniel Kwan, David Chase, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Boots Riley.
Media consolidation, the letter goes on to state, has already “accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.” It suggests that Paramount/Warner Bros. deal prioritizes “the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the public good.”
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In closing, the letter notes the various state attorneys general — including California’s Rob Bonta — who are looking into the merger and could take legal action to block it. “We are grateful for their leadership, and stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs, and ensure a vibrant future for our industry, for American culture, and for our single most significant export,” the letter concludes.
Reps for Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately return requests for comment.
