More than 1,000 writers, actors and directors wrote an open letter on Monday opposing Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying the $111 billion deal could weaken Hollywood’s already struggling film and television industry.

The signatories, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Bryan Cranston, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Stewart, J.J. Abrams and Denis Villeneuve, said the merger would reduce competition, eliminate jobs and leave creators with fewer opportunities.

“Together, these factors threaten the sustainability of the entire creative community. That includes endangering the professional lives of the tens of thousands of workers who help make up that community in predominantly small businesses and independent companies embedded in local economies and communities nationwide,” the letter stated.

The signatories also said they were concerned that growing support for the deal appeared to favour the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over what they described as the “broader public good”.

In the letter, they said combining Paramount and WBD would reduce the number of major US film studios to just four.

They argued that previous mergers had already sped up the disappearance of mid-budget films, weakened independent distribution, eliminated profit and reduced the integrity of screen credit.

“The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised,” the letter added.

The campaign against the merger is backed by several advocacy groups, including the Democracy Defenders Fund, the Writers Guild of America, Free Press, the International Documentary Association, and the Centre for American Progress.

Democracy Defenders Fund co-founder Norm Eisen described the proposed merger  as a threat not only to creativity but also to “the future of free media and a strong entertainment industry in America”, saying they would continue pushing to block the deal.

Actor and activist Jane Fonda, who was also quoted in the campaign, called the merger “one of the most destructive threats to free speech and creative expression in our history”.

The letter also mentioned that California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, and other state officials are reportedly considering legal action to block the transaction.

The proposed acquisition came in February after Netflix withdrew its bid for WBD, clearing the way for Paramount and Skydance to move ahead with a takeover plan.

Netflix had announced an $82.7 billion cash-and-stock agreement for WBD in December 2025, but said it declined to raise its offer after the WBD board determined that Paramount Skydance had submitted a “superior proposal”.

In a statement, Netflix co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said matching the latest bid was “no longer financially attractive”.