Tony Gilroy Says Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Will ‘Destroy’ a ‘Healthy and Beautiful Business’ in ‘The Name of Venture Capital’: ‘It’s Tragic’
Tony Gilroy has criticised the planned Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, warning it could damage the business that supports films such as his new drama, “Behemoth!”. He called the prospect of dismantling Hollywood’s established studio structure “tragic”, arguing that audiences remain engaged with film and television.
“Behemoth!”, starring Pedro Pascal, was made for $36 million and selected as the centrepiece of the 64th New York Film Festival. The merger, expected to close on 6 October, would bring the two studios under Skydance and reduce Hollywood’s traditional Big Five studios to four corporate owners. Producer Sanne Wohlenberg also warned that consolidation could sharply limit opportunities for filmmakers, although she expressed hope the industry would recover.
- Tony Gilroy says the merger could harm Hollywood’s studio system.
- “Behemoth!” was made on a $36 million budget.
- The deal would leave the Big Five studios under four owners.
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Paramount and Warner Bros. are two of Hollywood’s major film and television studios, responsible for making and distributing productions around the world. Paramount is set to come under Skydance, the media company led by David Ellison, in a deal that would also bring Warner Bros. into the same ownership.
The studios are part of a small group of large companies that finance, produce and distribute much of what audiences watch. Supporters of consolidation may expect larger companies to be more efficient, while people in the industry have raised concerns that fewer owners could mean fewer opportunities for filmmakers and less competition.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The merger could weaken a healthy film and television business by concentrating control over production, distribution and financing in fewer hands. That may reduce opportunities for filmmakers and narrow the range of projects that studios are willing to support, even while audiences remain interested in new work.
The case against
Bringing the studios together could create efficiencies and give the combined company greater resources to fund and distribute films and television in a competitive market. Supporters could argue that corporate consolidation does not by itself determine what gets made, and that a stronger business may help sustain investment and reach audiences.