If this is the entertainment industry’s canary in the coal mine moment, that bird might already be on the floor of its cage. Paramount acting so quickly to punish a journalist that disagreed with the powers that be is a warning of the kind of management style that would control more than a third of the industry if the merger goes through. Just days away from Hollywood potentially changing as we know it, it’s important to take stock of what’s at stake with the merger: how it will affect the immediate film and television landscape, entertainment journalism, and what awaits audiences on the other side.
As CinemaCon began on April 13, a coalition of advocacy groups published an open letter with around 1,000 signatories voicing their opposition to the merger. The letter explains that there will be one fewer studio in the marketplace to fund and create new projects, further consolidating opportunities at a time when the industry is already hemorrhaging jobs. Fewer opportunities mean fewer ways for creators to sustain themselves. Fewer opportunities also translates to fewer options for what to watch, as fewer movies and TV shows will be produced. These limits will affect who gets to create and what those creations get to say, giving Paramount an easy cover when firing and blacklisting talent it doesn’t align with politically. In just a week, almost 4,000 members of the entertainment community have signed the open letter, including noted HBO showrunners like David Chase and Damon Lindelof, stars of current HBO hits like Noah Wyle and Pedro Pascal, directors like Jonathan Glazer and Celine Song, and free press advocates like Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo.
This retaliation on the eve of a shareholder vote is just the latest example of what’s to come. Paramount has shown its Trumpian colors many times over since its merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media. Smothering its DEI programs, firing a talk show host critical of the current administration, and giving the historic CBS newsroom to a conservative dilettante—the behavior of the company in the wake of its own 2024 merger has not exactly inspired confidence for the future stewardship of CNN’s global reporting, HBO’s adventurous TV roster, or Warner Bros. Pictures’ Oscar-winning slate. Of course, the next step in its hard-right transformation would be to attack members of the press critical of the heir apparent and his management decisions. Could investigative reporters and critics who don’t shower their movies and business tactics with praise cost outlets their access? It’s a move not without precedent from an unscrupulous media corporation: Back in 2017, Disney tried to ban Los Angeles Times film critics from screening their movies after an unflattering investigative report, but quickly backed down as outlets and critics groups banded together.
It may be time for another moment of solidarity. This is a delicate flashpoint in the industry’s history. As politicians dither over tax incentives to keep production jobs in California, there may be fewer roles to save when the merger’s aftermath brings sweeping layoffs. There are few people working on a set today who aren’t worried about their job security, and the ramifications of that will be felt all the way to movie theaters and streaming devices across the country. Some have raised questions about the process’ transparency heading into Thursday’s vote, but those voices are ultimately rare—possibly because pin-gate could be just the beginning of the bullying tactics against the press. If one politically motivated despot can control almost 20 percent of Hollywood—even ignoring the fact that they’re bringing back the blacklist—it’d be bad for business and audiences alike.
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