UK stars warn $111bn Paramount-Warner deal may hit jobs and films

Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong have called on the UK government to block the proposed $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, warning that the deal could cause "immense harm on the British public" by threatening jobs, independent filmmaking and media diversity.In a joint op-ed published in The Guardian, the actors urged UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene in the blockbuster merger, saying Britain's film and television industry is at a critical moment.'We have a responsibility to the public'Explaining why they decided to speak out, the trio wrote, "As actors and public figures who have spent our careers in the arts in Britain — working with British crews, on British stages and sets — we have a responsibility to the public who support, enjoy and consume the art we make."Calling the merger a threat to the country's creative industries, they added, "The U.K.