Published : 28 Jul 2026, 12:43 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:28 AM
Three prominent British actors -- Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong -- are pressing the UK government to step in and stop the Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger from going ahead
They argue that the deal could cause serious damage to audiences and the industry in Britain.
Writing in a Guardian op-ed directed at Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, the three actors describe her potential intervention as one of the most consequential calls a UK culture secretary could make for the future of British film, television and media.
Their central argument is that the merger would lead to job losses, scrapped projects, fewer commissioned films and a more risk-averse industry overall.
However, they concede that this side of the issue falls more within the jurisdiction of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) -- which is conducting its own review -- than within Nandy's role.
Nandy's task is to assess whether the deal serves the public interest. On that question, the actors leave no ambiguity: they say it does not.
A key part of their argument centres on media ownership. Paramount already owns Channel 5, a public service broadcaster, along with CBS in the United States.
Should the WBD acquisition go through, CNN and CNN International would fall under the same corporate roof.
The op-ed frames this as a risk to editorial independence and public memory, arguing that concentrating control over major news archives in the hands of one commercial owner hands that owner outsized influence over how history is recorded and accessed.
The actors call on Nandy to follow through on the door she has already opened, framing it as a responsibility owed to everyone working in -- and watching -- UK television and film.
Without action, they warn, the industry could lose its ability to defend itself against further consolidation.
Nandy has previously indicated she is "minded to intervene", though the matter is now on hold with Parliament in recess until Sept 1.
She held onto her post through a recent cabinet reshuffle under incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and is simultaneously dealing with other major media decisions -- among them Comcast-owned Sky's acquisition of ITV and the BBC's charter renewal process.
Separately, the European Commission gave conditional approval to the Paramount-WBD merger last week.
The deal continues to face resistance in the US. On Friday, Paramount agreed to delay the merger until after an antitrust trial concludes.
