Warner Bros. Discovery followed Paramount to become the second major Hollywood studio to reject a boycott of Israeli film companies backed by a host of A-list stars and filmmakers.
“Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators and other stakeholders. Our policies prohibit any form of discrimination, including discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or ancestry. We believe that a boycott of Israeli film institutions violates our policies,” a WBD spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “While we respect the rights of individuals and groups to express their views and advocate for causes, we will continue to align our business practices with the requirements of our policies and the law.”
Film Workers for Palestine spearheaded the boycott last month citing the then-signatures of more than 1,300 filmmakers, actors, creatives and other industry professionals, including Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Yorgos Lanthimos, Josh O’Connor, Emma Stone, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Emma Seligman, Boots Riley, Hannah Einbinder, Cynthia Nixon, Adam McKay, Joshua Oppenheimer and others. That number has since grown to more than 4,000, with additional signatures from Hollywood professionals.
“As filmmakers, actors, workers and institutions in the film industry, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions,” the pledge reads. “At this urgent moment of crisis, when many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do all we can to combat complicity in this relentless horror. The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against the Palestinians is unlawful. Defend equality, justice and freedom for all is a profound moral duty that none of us can ignore.
According to Film Workers for Palestine, this pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, a group founded by renowned directors such as Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese, which demanded that the film industry refuse to distribute their works in South Africa.
The boycott was categorically rejected by Paramount, which came forward to become the first Hollywood studio to denounce it the week of its release. “At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission,” the statement read. “We disagree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists because of their nationality does not promote greater understanding or advance the cause of peace.”
Cinema Workers for Palestine contacted THR following the release of Paramount’s statement aimed at correcting what the organization claims are “inaccuracies.” According to its FAQ page, the pledge does not target Israeli individuals, but rather is “a call for film workers to refuse to work with Israeli institutions that are complicit in Israel’s human rights violations against the Palestinian people. This refusal targets institutional complicity, not identity.”
Joining studios to reject the boycott is a joint effort of the Creative Peace Community and the Brigade. Their letter, signed by Liev Schrieber, Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing and more than 1,200 others, rejects the boycott by calling the Film Workers for Palestine effort “not an act of conscience” but rather “a document of misinformation.”
News of WBD’s statement follows Hamas’ release of all living hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. It also comes amid widespread industry speculation about whether Paramount’s new owner, David Ellison, will continue with his father, Larry Ellison, to make a bid to acquire WBD.
Variety WBD first reported the statement.
