What’s Happening With Warner Bros?

While Warner Bros is a powerhouse of creative talent, it doesn’t have the best history of business decisions. After all, Time Warner’s (Warner Bros’ parent company in 2000) merger with AOL has often been dubbed “the worst merger in history”. Bad practices have also been in constant discussion since the merger of Warner Media and Discovery in 2022. 

Warner Bros. Discovery shelved big brand movies for tax write-offs. Their streaming service, HBO Max, saw constant rebranding. The DCEU had an inconsistent critical and box office reception. There have been lay-offs after lay-offs and more. But even after all that, the studio still had $29 billion in debt at the end of 2025.

The company then announced it was splitting into two, one company focusing on the major studio properties (Warner Bros, HBO, DC Studios, etc.), the other focusing on TV networks the company controls (CNN, Discovery, TNT Sports, etc.). However, this was put on hold by recent events.

Warner Bros. Discovery Buyout

On December 5th 2025, Netflix announced it would buy Warner Bros movie and streaming arms for an equity value of around $72 billion. Then, on December 9th, Paramount Skydance announced a hostile bid for the whole of Warner Bros. Discovery. This deal was valued at around $108.4 billion but was rejected. 

From there, several other offers were made, and US senators and industry workers scrutinised the effects the deal could have on the industry.

Eventually, Netflix backed out. Warner’s shareholders approved a deal with Paramount in April, which had an equitable value of around $81 billion. The deal is currently being scrutinised in the US, UK and EU.

Consequences For Media

It is impossible to cover everything that will come from a deal this big. Promises have been made about keeping theatrical releases in place, and 30 cinematic releases are promised per year. However, media industry consolidation is inherently negative. 

It means job losses as two studios pool resources. There will be less story diversity as voices will be tightened to fit one company’s vision. This also means fewer diverse choices for the public, but this isn’t restricted to the types of stories told.

Apparently, this merger will give Paramount control of 40% of the “most-watched acquired series on streaming”. If the company is committed to third-party distribution, as they say, how much will they ask for to screen such valuable intellectual property? Prior big mergers also tell us that huge consolidated studios release fewer projects. Meaning less art for customers to enjoy, along with less business for cinemas, as big studio releases bring in big audiences, and fewer jobs for creatives. Meaning an uncertain future for workers in job markets like the UK. 

Additionally, while saving measures may be introduced to entice people to its streaming platforms, Paramount’s market control will enable it to raise prices on viewers when possible.

Consequences For Politics

This doesn’t even address the danger of having a larger portion of the industry concentrated in the hands of owners so willing to intervene in politics. Since last year’s Paramount Skydance merger, Paramount-controlled news networks like CBS have seen efforts to nix stories critical of the Trump administration (Paramount CEO David Ellison is a Trump supporter). Ellison has also reportedly expressed support for Israel despite its genocidal onslaught, and the deal has links to several governments linked to human rights abuses, including the UAE, which has been accused of supporting genocide in Sudan. This could lead to less accurate reporting and even less accountability for serious crimes.

Conclusion

With the big five studios falling to four, concentrating Hollywood power into even smaller hands, executives using these companies to advance their own financial or political agenda, while workers and cinemas will be further strained, and less customer choice is offered, this deal would be awful for the media industry. Many workers and government figures are currently protesting this merger. Whether it works or not, we will have to wait and see.

The post Warner Bros Discovery Merger Explained: What the Paramount Deal Means for Hollywood appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

In this article, we will examine what his administration has done to roll back protections for marginalised people. We will also unpack what these actions could mean for the entertainment industry and its workers.

Eroding Work Protections

In January, Trump signed three executive orders. These orders mainly focused on rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes. Along with affirmative action and protections for trans people. High, Jordan and Ostrager note that though the orders were aimed mainly at federal agencies, they instruct agencies to make “reports identifying…private sector companies with the most ‘egregious and discriminatory’ DEI programs.” Along with “potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations and large non-profits.” Meaning they will have wide-reaching effects.

What This Means

These orders are meant to send the message that measures being taken to protect and cultivate better working environments for marginalised people and address systemic hiring biases that often disadvantages people who are marginalised because of, “their race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin,” will be vilified by the Trump administration. Companies that voice inclusive policies even face potential legal action. Meaning this is being done to create an intimidating environment for marginalised people. Crucially, although these orders frame themselves as anti-discriminatory, the ACLU says these orders “weaponize civil rights laws’ to reverse decades of progress for women, people of color and for all communities.”

Company-implemented programmes around diversity measures have been criticised for how businesses often use them to whitewash their image over taking concrete steps to address company discrimination. However, they still help many marginalised people. These orders aim to destroy even these small protections that make businesses consider their hiring practices, employees’ talents and well-being.

How Companies Are Responding

Big media companies like Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Disney and Amazon have already changed their policies significantly. Amazon excluded a section from a 2024 report that indicated the company was focused on “diversity and inclusion in hiring”. They also said they are “winding down outdated programs and material,” relating to DEI initiatives. Disney is changing its Disney+ content warnings, shifting its “talent strategy” to centre on business outcomes over fostering diversity and inclusion, and closing a website celebrating the contributions of underrepresented voices at the company. Paramount has rolled back its targets to attract more diverse employees and has removed website content speaking to DEI initiatives. WBD are also changing their language to revolve around “inclusion”. In addition, it is making its application process “uniform and consistent”.

Many of these companies are trying to make it clear that they still value diverse perspectives and inclusive environments. That said, these measures, coupled with Amazon creating content around the Trump family and WBD having reportedly had similar suggestions made, Paramount’s potential merger on the way, and Disney pulling content featuring diverse characters, indicate these companies are just trying to garner favour from the Trump administration to protect their financial interests. All while trying to hold onto marginalised audiences and workers, despite capitulating to policies made to make them feel unwelcome.

The Future

We will have to wait and see how these orders affect the whole American film industry, as well as the film industry broadly and if workers and companies will fight these orders. However, these actions also reiterate a dark truth. The film industry has long dragged its feet on improving on-screen and behind-the-scenes representation. Now that high-profile companies have retreated from commitments to diversity and protecting marginalised groups, it has the potential to alienate diverse creatives from the entertainment industry further. Thereby depriving them of a voice within culture and their workplace. Plus, if these companies bow to pressure, the number of productions pandering to the Trump administration will undoubtedly rise over the next few years. Which will serve to normalise its hateful rhetoric. For that, these companies should be ashamed.

The post How Film Studios Are Responding To Donald Trump’s Attack On Diversity, Equity & Inclusion appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

And although Gaza must remain in focus it’s worth looking at the ramifications this destruction has had on communities across the world. Today we’re going to look at the Film and TV Charity’s recent report analysing the mental health impacts the events in Gaza are having on UK Arab, Muslim & Jewish film and TV workers.

Disclaimer

This survey doesn’t give any details on the respondent’s views on the Gaza genocide. Therefore any claims that results are skewed by bias towards actions taken by any group is unacceptable. Israel’s actions don’t represent the worldwide Jewish community. To claim they do is antisemitic. Similarly, to make any hostile inferences based on the contributions of Arab and Muslim respondents is racist and Islamaphobic.

Findings

From December 2023 until early January 2024 the Film and TV charity distributed an online survey among specific industry groups. Intending to find out how the events in Gaza and Israel had affected particular industry workers. As well as to form a picture of prior discrimination faced by Muslim, Arab and Jewish workers.

The final report found Jewish; Arab and Muslim workers overwhelmingly felt their mental health had deteriorated since October 7th 2023. Both cohorts overwhelmingly said that UK media organisations treated their community unfairly (80% of Arab and Muslim workers and 68% of Jewish workers). Also, similar percentages of both groups felt the events of October 7th and beyond resulted in the deterioration of how they are treated by others in the workplace (41% of Arab and Muslim workers and 40% of Jewish workers).

Additionally, 40% of Arab and Muslim respondents said they had already had negative industry experiences because of their identity pre-October 7th. 80% of the same communities agreed the industry was institutionally discriminatory towards them. While over half felt unsupported by employers after October 7th and thought the industry was unwelcoming and unsafe. 

A significant number of Jewish and Arab and Muslim participants reported the events on and after October 7th as having impacted their work well-being in some way. Plus both were likely to encounter regular hostility towards their community in the workplace. However, a greater percentage of Muslim and Arab respondents reported being negatively impacted in both cases.

Recommendations

After compiling the findings the charity organised several discussions with industry leaders to propose solutions to these problems.

Some of the main solutions included (among other things):

• Providing training and education across the industry on what islamophobia, anti-Arab discrimination and antisemitism are. Clear guidelines on how to spot and report incidents (as well as robust reporting systems). With a zero-tolerance policy towards these attitudes.
• Carrying out schemes to ensure diverse on-screen representation to all the discussed communities. As well as creating programming specifically aimed at being inclusive to “‘Muslim’, ‘Asian’ or ‘Arab'” communities. 
• Fostering inclusive industry attitudes. This can be done by respecting important holidays for Jewish staff and education on religious and cultural practices relating to Muslim and Arab staff. Creating Jewish, Arab and Muslim work groups as well as an industry-wide Arab and Muslim group to act as advocates for community issues. Recognising the diverse spectrum of Jewish identity (race, ethnicity, identity, or religion). Setting up hiring targets for Muslim and Arab staff within industry hubs, and enforcing the rights of Muslim and Arab workers to join police-approved marches and post information from recognised sources on social media without fearing for their professional security.
• An independent review of news content across major channels relating to what is happening in Gaza and how it impacts staff from all discussed communities.

In Closing

These recommendations definitely are a good thing. That said other measures should be considered regarding the current tragedy in Gaza.

Over the past year, the UK media has consistently misrepresented or demonised Palestinians as well as Muslims and Arab people. Framing the Israel-Palestine “conflict” as stemming from religious hatred of Jewish people rather than oppression and occupation. With demonstrations concerned about Palestinian safety often framed around questions of them being hateful or potentially antisemitic. Thereby conflating denouncement of Israel’s actions with Jewish people’s safety, despite many Jewish communities speaking out against Israel.

If the industry is to rebuild trust with these communities it must ensure safety for all these groups, educate workers on how to root out bigotry, it must stop the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel’s actions, recognise the experiences and humanity of Palestinians, along with Muslims and Arab cultures generally, and stop framing their rights as conflicting with Jewish people.

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