British actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong have published a joint column in The Guardian, calling on UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to block the $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, reports infohub.kz.
In their view, the merger would severely damage the British film industry. They fear the combined company would cut costs to service its multibillion-dollar debt, leading to mass layoffs, canceled productions, and fewer new film projects.
The actors also expressed concern about the concentration of news outlets such as Channel 5 and CNN International under a single owner. They argue that UK authorities should independently block the deal to protect the national film industry, even though Paramount has agreed to delay the merger pending a US court decision.