Today, we learned about the “Block The Merger” petition with over 1,000 names across Hollywood (well-known producers, directors, actors, and writers lending their weight by signing it) endorsing the letter aimed at stopping David Ellison and Paramount Skydance from acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix was shooed away from their own deal after Ellison’s multiple attempts at a hostile bid to topel the streamer’s offer (there may have been pressure from Trump administration for the streamer to back off).
One of those names that signed the petition letter was Damon Lindelof, who explained his reasons on Instagram for backing it, as the merger may end up harming the blue-collar side of the industry and those jobs, the people who help to create the shows and films we all enjoy (in prep stages, on set, various tasks behind the scenes, or during the post-production process).
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“Hollywood, believe it or not, is a blue-collar town. It’s thousands and thousands of Grips and Gaffers. Drivers and Decorators. Builders and Boom operators. Camera teams and Caterers. And they’re all about to get f***ed. Hollywood mergers mean fewer movies and fewer TV shows, and that means fewer jobs. When two storied backlots are owned by the same company, the outcome is intuitive —one becomes a Ghost Town,” Lindelof said in a lengthy post expressing his reasoning.
Lindelof is currently involved with the upcoming DC Studios/HBO Max (would end up in the hands of Paramount Skydance IF the merger clears regulatory bodies) series “Lanterns” as co-creator/executive producer and was creatively behind the Emmy-winning comic book series “Watchmen.” Poining out that he’s worked with Ellison in the past and doesn’t expect any kind of retaliation for speaking out.
This comes after Paramount Skydance’s response (via Variety) earlier in the day to the petition as they attempt to make their case to the public, shareholders, media, talent, and future creative collaborators.
“We hear and understand the concerns that some in our creative community have raised and respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity. This transaction uniquely brings together complementary strengths to create a company that can greenlight more projects, back bold ideas, support talent across multiple stages of their careers, and bring stories to audiences at a truly global scale—while strengthening competition by ensuring multiple scaled players are investing in creative talent. We have been clear in our commitments to do just that: increasing output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases, continuing to license content, and preserving iconic brands with independent creative leadership —ensuring creators have more avenues for their work, not fewer. We understand the concerns raised as a result of the disruptions caused to our industry by COVID, entry of big-tech, and changes in consumer behavior, but we promise this: Paramount remains deeply committed to talent, and this merger strengthens both consumer choice and competition, creating greater opportunities for creators, audiences, and the communities they live and work in.”
We empathize with Damon Lindelof’s concerns as he is certainly right to point out this industry that employs a huge number of tradespeople and other crew members across the country/globe, who can often be seen as expendable cogs in the Hollywood machine by studio brass (we’ve seen an increasing number of studio layoffs across the board and a lot of job-killing ideas floated during various union strikes as a way to imtimidate members).
Feel free to read Lindelof’s full post about backing the “Block The Merger” petition below.
Paramount responds to the 1,000-plus Hollywood names who signed an open letter opposing the studio's deal to buy Warner Bros:
— Variety (@Variety) April 13, 2026
"We hear and understand the concerns that some in our creative community have raised and respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity…… pic.twitter.com/AYG48I2pVj
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