Paramount Reportedly Blacklists Certain Stars Amid Major Internal Shifts
As major shifts continue within Paramount, the studio has reportedly created a list of actors it will no longer work with. Under David Ellison’s leadership, the newly formed Paramount Skydance has already seen significant changes… from mass layoffs to ongoing talks about a potential merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
According to Variety, one of the latest moves includes a “blacklist” of performers deemed “overly antisemitic,” “xenophobic,” or “homophobic.”
In September, Paramount became the first major Hollywood studio to publicly condemn an open letter that called for the boycott of Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
Among the many signatories of that letter were Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Tilda Swinton, Emma D’Arcy, and Elliot Page. It remains unconfirmed whether any of these actors appear on Paramount’s internal blacklist.
Part of Paramount’s strong stance on Israel may stem from personal ties at the top.
Larry Ellison the co-founder of Oracle and father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is reportedly a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a major donor to Friends of the IDF.
The studio’s shifting political direction is also linked to Larry Ellison’s relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration approved the Paramount/Skydance merger, and Trump himself has publicly noted his friendship with both Larry and David Ellison, calling them supporters of his.
Adding to the shake ups, prolific television creator Taylor Sheridan, whose shows Yellowstone, 1923, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness have anchored Paramount+, is reportedly preparing to exit the company despite his contract running through 2028. Sheridan is expected to move to NBCUniversal after a reported breakdown in relations with Paramount’s new leadership following the Skydance merger.
Despite these departures and controversies, Paramount has had some wins. The studio recently landed Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who left Netflix to join the Paramount family.
Still, from high profile blacklists to major creative losses, there’s no denying that the future of Paramount is entering one of its most uncertain and politically charged eras yet.
