Benedict Wong, Alan Cumming and Benedict Cumberbatch urge UK to block Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger

British actors Benedict Wong, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Cumberbatch co-authored an op-ed on August 20, 2026, calling on the UK government to block the proposed merger between media giants Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The actors ground their opposition in concerns about job preservation within the entertainment industry, suggesting the consolidation could threaten employment. The intervention represents a high-profile celebrity effort to influence UK regulatory decisions on major media consolidation at a time when streaming and traditional entertainment companies are pursuing mergers.

UK merger opposition by actors

• ▪Benedict Wong, Alan Cumming, and Benedict Cumberbatch wrote an op-ed urging the UK to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
• ▪Benedict Wong spoke about the op-ed urging the UK to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger on August 20, 2026.