Some of Britain’s biggest names in film and television are calling on the government to step in and block a massive Hollywood merger they say could cause serious damage to the UK’s creative industries.
Alan Cumming, Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong have added their voices to growing concern over the proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros by Paramount Skydance. In a public statement, the three actors argued that the deal threatens British workers, British culture and the audiences who rely on homegrown storytelling.
The merger, which has been making waves in the US, has so far flown under the radar for most people in the UK. But those working in the industry say the consequences could be felt across every level of British film and TV production, from the crews on set to the viewers at home.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has already signalled she is taking the threat seriously. She recently wrote directly to both Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery, and made a statement to parliament saying she is ‘minded to intervene’ in the deal. For the actors behind this campaign, that is an encouraging sign, but they want her to go further and actually act.
Cumberbatch, Cumming and Wong have all built careers that straddle British stages and sets as well as Hollywood productions. They say that experience gives them a clear view of just how much the UK creative sector stands to lose if this merger goes through unchallenged.
The concern is not just about jobs, though that is a big part of it. A merger of this scale would hand enormous power to a single media giant, potentially squeezing out the kind of diverse, independent and distinctly British content that audiences have come to expect. When fewer companies control more of what gets made and distributed, the worry is that commercial priorities start to override cultural ones.
Britain has long punched above its weight in global entertainment. From prestige drama to comedy, documentary to blockbuster film, UK productions regularly lead the way internationally. That reputation has been built on a rich ecosystem of talent, training and public investment. Critics of the merger argue that ecosystem could be seriously undermined if a dominant American media conglomerate ends up calling the shots on what gets greenlit and what gets shelved.
The merger is currently being scrutinised on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, regulators are already looking at the competition implications. In the UK, the government has the power to assess whether the deal meets the public interest test, particularly around media plurality and the sustainability of the creative industries.
Nandy’s letters to the two companies suggest the government is at least asking the right questions. But campaigners and industry figures want to see those questions lead to real conditions being placed on any approval, or the deal being blocked altogether if it cannot be shown to protect British interests.
For Cumberbatch, Cumming and Wong, the message is simple. The public may not be paying close attention to this story yet, but they should be. What gets made, who makes it and who controls the platforms it appears on all shapes what people watch and, in turn, what they know about the world around them.
With the Culture Secretary already indicating she sees the risks, the actors are urging her to follow through. The window to act is open, but it will not stay that way for long.