“Lost” and “The Leftovers” creator Damon Lindelof penned a lengthy social media post Monday morning explaining his decision to sign an open letter opposing the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount, predicting that the merger will leave Hollywood’s blue-collar workers “f—ked.”
Lindelof was one of over 1,000 signatories to sign the open letter Monday. The other names attached to the document include industry heavyweights like J.J. Abrams, Denis Villeneuve, David Fincher, Jason Bateman, Kristen Stewart, Emma Thompson, Noah Wyle, Ben Stiller and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Together, they express their deep concerns about the merger and, specifically, the signs that it is being supported by those prioritizing “the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good.”
“The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised,” the open letter stated. “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.”
Lindelof, for his part, took to Instagram to express not only the initial fear he felt about attaching his name to the letter, but also the existential concerns that led him to ultimately do exactly that.
“When I was asked to sign a letter that openly opposed the sale of Warner Brothers to Paramount/Skydance, I felt two things; the first was that yes, absolutely, of course I opposed it. The second was oh shit, I’m afraid to say so publicly,” Lindelof wrote. “Fear is embarrassing. No one wants to be the guy puking in the boat in ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ They want to be the ones storming the beach. So why was I afraid? Some implied retaliation?”
“Being put on some list of rabble-rousers? Getting kicked off the beloved Warner Brothers backlot I have called home for the last fifteen years?” Lindelof continued, adding that he “sort of” knows Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison. “We produced a few things together not too long ago. I found him to be bright, ambitious and passionate. He loved movies and trusted the people he made them with. But still… Better not to risk it.”
The Emmy winner said he briefly thought the letter — and his participation in it— would be pointless and that the document would “evaporate into the s–tstorm of an unrelenting news cycle.” But in the end, not even that was enough to stop him.
“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—ked,” Lindelof explained. “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.”
“I’m scared. But I’m not a ghost. And a fight is already lost if it’s never fought. So I signed. Proudly. I understand why many of my peers have not — trust me, I’m more of a puker than a stormer,” he concluded. “But these boats are heading for the beach whether we like it or not… The only thing we have any control over is what we do when we get there.”
Lindelof’s comments came as Ellison has continued, unwavering, to push for the completion of his company’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He has previously said that the sale could close as early as this summer, depending on regulatory obstacles. Meanwhile, concerns about the merger’s potential impact on Hollywood’s economy, output and job landscape have only continued to grow among those both within and outside of the entertainment industry.
In addition to expressing those very concerns, the Lindelof-signed open letter shared Monday declares support for California Attorney General Rob Bonta and his colleagues in other states, who have not only remained skeptical of the merger but have also reportedly been considering legal action to block it.
“We are grateful for their leadership,” Monday’s letter further noted, “and stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs, and ensure a vibrant future for our industry, for American culture, and for our single most significant cultural export.”
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