The top lawyer for Paramount Skydance slammed many of the opponents of the company’s attempted takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery through “fear mongering” and “antisemitic views.”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Makan Delrahim alleged that the pending WBD merger to the tune of $111 billion was being fought primarily by sowing fear through the industry, saying he believes the merger will actually create jobs and opportunities.
“Politics is part of life. It’s part of the beautiful process of democracy,” Delrahim said. “Generally, we are very empathetic to the folks in Hollywood, but this transaction will actually create more and better and exciting jobs. David [Ellison] is an absolute lover of films; he’s a filmmaker himself. For the first time, you are getting an owner who comes from the creative side.”
He continued: “Let’s be honest. There’s a lot of fear-mongering, particularly from people in Washington, D.C. They are running a political campaign. Some of these people are trying to inflict harm on this transaction really because of their own antisemitic views. Regulators and law enforcement officials will see right through that.”
The merger has raised many concerns throughout Hollywood and the Senate antitrust committee. Cory Booker tried numerous times to get Ellison to sit in on a hearing about the merger but those invites were declined. An open letter with signatures from more than 5000 filmmakers and actors has circulated as Ellison $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery barrels onward.
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” the letter read. “The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised. Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement.”
Back in September, Film Workers for Palestine published an open letter pledging to to avoid working with Israeli film institutions that the group deems are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The letter received over 4,000 film industry professionals’ signatures. Notable signatories include Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton and Andrew Garfield.
Paramount condemned the letter with a response of their own days later.
“We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers,” the statement said. “Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”
