Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, Benedict Wong urge UK government to block Paramount-Warner merger
Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong warned that the $111 billion deal threatens thousands of UK jobs
- Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong urge blocking Paramount's merger.
- The actors warned the $111 billion deal threatens thousands of UK jobs.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will decide on a public interest probe in September.
Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Wong co-authored an op-ed published in The Guardian on Monday, urging Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to formally intervene and block Paramount's $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Guardian reported that the trio called on the cabinet minister to step in for the benefit of the British screen industry and protect local culture from corporate consolidation. This intervention follows Nandy telling the UK Parliament that she is minded to intervene in the mega-merger, pending a final decision expected when lawmakers return from their summer break in September.
The actors highlighted major concerns regarding the transaction, warning that it puts the livelihoods of thousands of UK media workers at risk. They also raised alarms over news plurality, noting that the combined company would control major outlets including 5 News, CNN International, and CBS News. Pointing to reports that Paramount's chief executive promised sweeping changes to CNN during discussions with Donald Trump, the authors argued that a British secretary of state is obliged to scrutinise such editorial commitments.
The op-ed follows recent developments in the European Union, where regulators conditionally cleared the transaction before it was paused until June 2027 pending US legal challenges brought by state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America. While Paramount's deal could potentially close without UK clearance due to a non-suspensory merger control regime, executive David Ellison has maintained an intention to respect the British regulatory process.
The publication noted that Alan Cumming previously joined a coalition named Block the Merger UK, urging members of the public to contact the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or Ofcom to demand a deeper examination of the corporate takeover.
