In an op-ed in the Guardian, actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Alan Cumming have called on the United Kingdom to block the merger between Paramount and Warner, arguing that the deal risks causing "enormous harm to British citizens".
Among the main concerns expressed by the actors, who were joined by Benedict Wong, are the possible repercussions on jobs for British film and television crews, on the funding of independent cinema, and on the further concentration of the news and media sector.
"The UK is threatened by a media merger that would harm workers, our culture and the public interest. But we can still stop it," the actors write, encouraged by statements from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who expressed her intention to examine whether the deal represents a threat to the public interest.
In the editorial, Cumberbatch, Cumming and Wong note that, earlier this month, 12 American states, led by California, filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the merger, arguing that the deal "would raise prices, reduce the number of films produced and worsen the quality of what audiences see".
