Washington DC [US], May 8 : Actor Mark Ruffalo has claimed that several Hollywood stars declined to sign an open letter opposing the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros merger because they feared retaliation and possible blacklisting within the industry, according to Variety.
In an op-ed published in The New York Times and co-written with Matt Stoller, research director at the American Economic Liberties Project, Ruffalo said fear within the entertainment industry had become "deep, ugly and pervasive."
"The most revealing thing about that letter wasn't the people who signed. It was the people who didn't. Not because they disagreed -- because they were afraid," Ruffalo and Stoller write," according to Variety.
"There are many reasons to block this deal, but we now believe the most fundamental one is what we encountered when asking artists to use their voices: fear. A deep, ugly and pervasive fear of speaking out," they added.
The open letter opposing the merger began circulating in April and has reportedly gathered more than 4,000 signatures from members of the entertainment industry, including actors Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal and Edward Norton, along with filmmakers Yorgos Lanthimos, Sofia Coppola and Denis Villeneuve.
According to the op-ed, several artists privately supported the campaign but refused to publicly endorse it due to concerns over professional consequences.
"We heard time and time again from artists, when asked to sign this letter, that they supported it but were afraid of retribution. Their fear is not unjustified," Ruffalo and Stoller wrote.
The article also cited alleged examples of retaliation linked to opposition to the merger.
"When the editorial director of The Ankler, one of the last independent trade magazines, who also founded the publication and serves as one of its columnists, was seen at an event carrying a bag of 'Block the Merger' buttons, Paramount reportedly pulled its advertising in response," the op-ed stated.
Ruffalo and Stoller also alleged that a planned CNN discussion involving Ruffalo was dropped because of the network's corporate ties.
"One of us, Mr. Ruffalo, was suggested as a guest for a CNN discussion of the merger, but a producer later said that the network had decided to pass on the segment," they wrote.
The producer reportedly told organisers behind the letter, "It's a delicate subject for us at CNN given Warner Bros. Discovery is our parent company, and there are legal considerations around what we can and cannot cover or say while the merger is ongoing."
The op-ed argued that the proposed merger would further reduce competition in the entertainment industry and negatively impact creators and audiences alike.
"As filmmakers, documentarians and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger," the letter at BlockTheMerger.com states in part. , according to Variety.
"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 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. Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four," it added.
Ruffalo and Stoller concluded the op-ed by calling for collective resistance against corporate consolidation.
Ruffalo and Stoller concluded their op-ed by writing: "We've seen what happens when monopoly-leaning companies benefit from a fear that silences dissent. But our growing coalition is demonstrating that when we don't get stuck on the sidelines, don't bow down to inevitability and join together to fight, we can win. And who knows? If we can defeat the oligarchs trying to seize control of our TV shows and movies, maybe we can do it elsewhere, too," according to Variety.