Mark Ruffalo speaks out after Paramount-Warner Bros merger approval
“This merger will stifle creativity, weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs,” Ruffalo wrote in a statement
Mark Ruffalo has spoken out against the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger after a US judge approved the deal, saying the agreement could affect creativity, free speech and jobs across the entertainment industry.
“This merger will stifle creativity, weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs,” Ruffalo wrote in a statement posted to Threads on Wednesday. He called the decision “an incredibly disappointing outcome” and said the movement opposing the merger would continue.
Ruffalo has been one of the most vocal Hollywood figures opposing Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He previously urged California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general not to settle an antitrust case that sought to challenge the deal.
The actor also spoke against the merger during a Senate hearing in April, arguing that greater consolidation could have consequences for film, television and news media. At the time, he pointed to potential job losses and questioned whether promises from the companies would protect workers and production.
The merger received a major legal green light on Wednesday when US District Court Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approved a settlement involving Paramount and a coalition of 12 states led by California. The agreement includes requirements for the combined company to release at least 30 films annually in US cinemas for five years and invest an additional $300 million each year in domestic production.
The settlement also requires Paramount to negotiate certain basic cable agreements separately for the companies’ networks and establishes a board of journalists to oversee CBS News and CNN. The deal is expected to close in early October.
Ruffalo has previously faced criticism from Paramount over comments he made while opposing the merger. The company accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes in comments concerning the Ellison family and Oracle’s business ties to Israel. Ruffalo rejected the accusation, saying his criticism was directed at corporate and political actions rather than Jewish people.
George Clooney has also publicly defended Ruffalo’s right to criticise the deal. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival last month, Clooney said he was concerned about large companies consolidating and the potential effect on employment in Hollywood.
With the court approval clearing a major obstacle to the acquisition, Ruffalo’s latest comments signal that opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger will continue even as the companies move towards closing the deal.
