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For Sale Apr 13, 2026 at 3:43 PM

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: ‘Block the Merger’

Posted by Hiraeth-nomad

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: ‘Block the Merger’
Variety
Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: ‘Block the Merger’
Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and more stars signed an open letter opposing Paramount's pending Warner Bros. Discovery purchase.
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treehumper83 Apr 13, 2026 +161
Stop working with the studios if the merger happens. Thats the only way they can make a real stance. But they won’t. Most of them can’t. Their lifestyles require the money that the mega studio can pay out.
161
nowhereman136 Apr 13, 2026 +36
It would be easier to start propping up smaller studios to compete. Do your big Action Man movie with Paramount for $10m and then do smaller indie comedy with a mini studio for $50k. Big studios wouldn't be so powerful if audiences stopped seeing their movies. This isn't like tech or energy industry where people don't have as many choices. No one needs to see a Paramount movie and if we all stop seeing them then the studio would shrink. Appear in smaller films with a smaller salary to encourage audiences to see smaller and more original films.
36
_badwithcomputer Apr 13, 2026 +19
They won't do that either, because they want the money that only the mega studios can pay them, and the marketing and exposure that guarantees. This is mainly all just performative, which kinda makes sense considering...
19
natrous Apr 13, 2026 +1
Seems like there should be a spot where a small-ish budget studio could give the leads a percent of gross or something to lure them onto a project. Maybe most will fail or won't make a ton, but if these actors think they are worth so much by being in a film then put up or shut up.
1
amyknight22 Apr 14, 2026 +1
I feel like with streaming being the way so many things go. They are probably all more wary of this sort of accounting. Where at least in the past it would be a lot easier to see tangible sell through rates of inventory etc.
1
MightyMorph Apr 13, 2026 +4
distribution, studios, equipment etc etc costs are bit too high for newcomers making any real blockbusters. Even A24 style low/mid budget movies seem to fail at making back the money spent outside of a special few. Usually horror... Its an inevitable end when you let corporations monopolize as they have. + We know these actors will just sign the dotted line when the studio offers them 5-10m for a 3 week shoot. and with the way things are heading. Im suspecting Mr Beast making movies and being cast by studios in movies pretty soon. They are seeing the ROI on kids/gaming movies. Minecraft 2 will prob make 2b+....
4
amyknight22 Apr 14, 2026 +1
> Its an inevitable end when you let corporations monopolize as they have. That and the fact that movies cost so much these days and then combined with the fact that you'll get bumped from screens so they can put the new megapicture on as many screens as possible.
1
FormerlyMevansuto Apr 13, 2026
Make an indie comedy for $50k? So make a movie with a crew of three non-union guys and shoot it in your kitchen?
0
saffeqwe Apr 14, 2026 +1
And people downvote you for truth. LoL these people actually think "if you're homeless just buy a house"
1
JimiDarkMoon Apr 13, 2026 +2
The guy who narrated *Earthling* is a sellout because a random guy on Listnook said so? Okaaayyy…
2
JASPER933 Apr 13, 2026 +3
You are correct. Those mentioned or against the merger, stop working with the studio. I am one who is against the merger and will drop HBO and CNN subscription once the merger is complete.
3
saffeqwe Apr 14, 2026 +3
LMAO drop it now, your protest is useless after it'll happen but then you have to get out of your comfort zone
3
BoxOfNothing Apr 13, 2026 +2
I'd argue it's quite likely that the vast majority of those 1000+ signatures would be people happy for/in need of any work. Of course the big names make a bigger difference but most of them don't have a lifestyle only mega studios can afford to contribute towards. Of course this makes them even more likely to accept offers from mega studios whose actions they morally disagree with, because they need to make a living.
2
myassholealt Apr 13, 2026 -1
Exactly. They should read the room a little better to realize that their words have no weight to the people making this decision. If anything, the decision makers will be more encouraged to confirm the merger knowing it "angers the Hollywood elites." Cause we're in that kind if immature and petty timeline. If these Hollywood names are not going to put their contracts and money on the line, their words are meaningless. It's like that Imagine singalong video those famous people posted during Covid. WTF did they think that would actually achieve? When average people were losing lives, jobs, homes, etc., here's a bunch of safe millionaires singing a song together to make it all better?
-1
wynonna_burp Apr 13, 2026 -3
Except the mega-studio won’t pay the money, because they don’t have to.
-3
treehumper83 Apr 13, 2026 +8
They won’t hire these actors? I highly doubt this.
8
wynonna_burp Apr 13, 2026 +2
Monopolies don’t pay people more. If you want to work you have to do it for less.
2
treehumper83 Apr 13, 2026 +1
No, but the actors aren’t just going to stop working with such a conglomerate on moral grounds unless they can survive only on what’s provided elsewhere. There’s not enough work elsewhere for them to get if they keep up the lifestyles most of them have. Maybe some smaller studios will step up to the plate but I doubt that consistently working with them will keep the actors in their multiple multi-million dollar homes.
1
FungusBalls Apr 13, 2026 +21
all these bastards are rich as hell why don't they just pool their resources and start their own damn company
21
fantasmoofrcc Apr 13, 2026 +10
How could these Artists become United? Absurd... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Artists
10
Pubs01 Apr 13, 2026 +46
where was this months ago? a little late
46
WySLatestWit Apr 13, 2026 +42
Now that it can't possibly make any actual difference they speak up. When it mattered the only voices coming from Hollywood were the Anti-Netflix voices
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writersontop Apr 13, 2026 +9
Yup. So ridiculous.
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Soul-2 Apr 13, 2026 +4
This is correct and sad and embarrassing all at the same time.
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Kalse1229 Apr 13, 2026 +6
It still hasn't been approved by the federal government. US or abroad. So it's not "too late."
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whatsupeveryone34 Apr 13, 2026 +6
because strongly worded letters are always effective...
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madasfire Apr 13, 2026 +26
Gal Gadot wasn't available to lead a a strongly worded sing along?
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Oddball- Apr 13, 2026 +5
**And enough CorRUPtion.... to fill the NiLE!**
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wojx 6 days ago +1
She was occupied
1
rip1980 Apr 13, 2026 +8
"That's had to have worked at least once, right?" --Norm MacDonald
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second_toastacct Apr 13, 2026 +3
They're about to learn how little influence and power they really have when up against the greed of those really in charge.
3
r31ya Apr 14, 2026 +3
little late isn't?
3
MrMegaPhoenix Apr 13, 2026 +10
Why? If you are opposed to it, just don’t work for them if it’s that’s important to you It’s really that simple
10
hashtagbutter Apr 13, 2026 +1
I wonder if they cared when Netflix was buying it
1
FreeStall42 Apr 14, 2026 +1
How many of them are agreeing not to work for Paramount if the deal happens?
1
thrilling_me_softly Apr 14, 2026 +1
They will quiet down when that big fat check from Paramount-Werner hires them.
1
Va1crist Apr 13, 2026 -6
Funny why didn’t they do this with Netflix ? They do realize Netflix was going to be just as worse or even worse
-6
Alis451 Apr 13, 2026 +13
> Funny why didn’t they do this with Netflix ? because Netflix isn't a [Major Film Studio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_film_studios), they were trying to become one with the acquisition of WB. Netflix is technically just a Horizontal production/distribution company. >The current Big Five majors (Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony) all originate from film studios that were active during Hollywood's Golden Age. Four of these were among that original era's Eight Majors, being that era's original Big Five plus its Little Three, collectively the eight film studios that controlled as much as 96% of the market during the 1930s and 1940s. >In addition to being members of today's Big Five, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. were also part of the original Big Five, along with RKO Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and 20th Century Fox. Amazon bought out MGM and no one gave a f***.
13
Petersm66 Apr 13, 2026
And we always do what the Celebrity voices tell us to do...
0
Dat_Cacti Apr 14, 2026
1,000 Hollywood celebrities fighting over who controls the billions while the rest of us watch. "Puppets dancing on strings" isn't even a metaphor anymore. Speaking of which — hollywoodslayer.com. Free browser game where the demon of greed controls Hollywood and celebrities are his army. You kill them with gold coins. The lore reads like a summary of this article. The boss sits at the top doing nothing while sending waves of minions to protect him. Then he dies screaming. Most satisfying 10 minutes I've had this week. Also embarrassingly addictive — the combo chains keep you in "one more round" mode.
0
No_Razzmatazz_2889 Apr 13, 2026 -5
It's called consolidation in the business world yet these dopey "actors" are too dumb to realise this.
-5
cmbhere Apr 13, 2026 -1
With that many names they could fund their own studio and all hold shares. Work for only that studio and don't work for the competition.
-1
hammnbubbly Apr 13, 2026 +3
That’s called The Studio System and it existed for a long time
3
cmbhere Apr 13, 2026
So.... what am I missing here?
0
ICXPDQ Apr 13, 2026 -5
The talent hates downgrades, especially in their paychecks. Let them really earn a buck like the rest of us!
-5
FitFuture6581 Apr 13, 2026 -5
Why? Will the merger take money out of their pockets ? I sure as hell hope it does
-5
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