George Clooney Backs Ruffalo, Questions Paramount-Warner Merger at 65
Updated
Updated · Variety · Sep 2
George Clooney Backs Ruffalo, Questions Paramount-Warner Merger at 65
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Sep 2
Summary
At a Venice press conference before receiving a lifetime Golden Lion, George Clooney defended Mark Ruffalo’s right to criticize Paramount’s planned merger with Warner Bros. and rejected calls to police his speech.
Clooney said he cannot see how the deal makes financial sense and warned that consolidation usually costs jobs, framing the merger as a threat to Hollywood workers rather than a clear business win.
The 65-year-old actor also said AI will become a major force in entertainment but could harm performers, joking he does not want to appear in ads decades after his death.
Beyond Hollywood, Clooney criticized concentrated media ownership by figures such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk and described current U.S. leadership as a “kakistocracy,” while predicting elections will restore some normalcy by 2028.
With a 2027 antitrust trial looming, could George Clooney's warnings about job losses help derail the massive Paramount-Warner Bros merger?
As billionaires tighten their grip on Hollywood, will the controversial Paramount-Warner Bros deal ultimately destroy or save the entertainment industry?
Could the clash between state regulators and federal decisions over the Paramount merger redefine the future of global media ownership?