Mark Ruffalo and Emma Thompson among 1,000+ signatories on open letter opposing Paramount’s Warner buyout

Merger will ‘prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good’, letter states

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Kristen Stewart are among more than 1,000 film and TV industry professionals who have signed an open letter protesting against Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, the parent group that owns HBO, HBO Max, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-02-27/paramount-warner-bros-deal-what-happens-to-cnn">CNN, TBS and Food Network, as well as the Warner Bros TV and film studios.

“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” states the letter, which was published on Monday on https://blockthemerger.com/openletter">BlocktheMerger.com.