“We write to express our unequivocal opposition…”
The Paramount Skydance Corporation shifted the balance of power in Hollywood in February when the company revealed plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery — a deal valued at just over $110 billion. Many creatives in Tinseltown have voiced their displeasure with the prospect of this union, and now Star Trek alums J.J. Abrams and Tig Notaro are among those who signed an open letter expressing their “unequivocal opposition" to a Paramount/Warner Bros. studio.
An excerpt from the correspondence from BlocktheMerger.com reads as follows: “This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries—and the audiences we serve—can least afford it.”
The letter continues as follows:
“The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world […] Our industry is already under severe strain, in large part due to prior waves of consolidation. We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside a narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed.”
Abrams, of course, was the creative force behind the immensely popular Star Trek Kelvin Timeline films (2009-2016), and Notaro starred as Jett Reno in both Star Trek: Discovery and Starfleet Academy.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not yet approved the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger, but it is expected to take place in this year’s third quarter. Obviously, both Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery’s boards approved the union, but there is still a regulatory review and shareholder votes to consider before this is a done deal.
One particular worry voiced in the open letter signed by Star Trek’s Abrams and Notaro is that the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger could also “threaten the sustainability of the entire creative community.”
On the plus side, though, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery pooling their resources almost certainly ensures the survival of the moviegoing experience in cinemas for film fans which would have been in jeopardy had Netflix won the bid to acquire Warner Bros. instead of Paramount.
However, therein lies another concern brought up in the open letter: “Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four.”
Personally, I can see where those who signed the letter are concerned, but, as a Trekkie, I also understand the enormous potential where the franchise is concerned. Paramount/Warner Bros. made it clear in a press release issued earlier this year that Star Trek is a valued IP for the studio as it’s among “the world's most iconic and enduring franchises.”
Share your feelings and comments about the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger’s effect on Star Trek via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And to read the open letter in its entirety, please visit BlocktheMerger.com.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!