Paramount has been in the headlines over the past few months due to its heavy push to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as its ambitious expansion plans following its merger with Skydance. From this, a lot of reported information has come out about the company. A recent report from Variety detailing Paramount CEO David Ellison's first 100 days at the company has provided considerable insight into the company's culture.
A particularly noteworthy piece of information from the article is the claim that Paramount keeps a list of actors it will not work with due to considering them "homophobic," "overtly antisemitic" and "xenophobic." However, shortly after the article was published, Variety provided an update on it, stating that other sources have denied such a list exists, and that, instead, the studio simply doesn't wish to work with actors who don't reflect the company's values:
"Other sources intimately familiar with Paramount said that while an itemized list does not exist, the management team shares a set of values and has no desire to work with anyone who expresses hate in public and damaging ways]."
Whether or not there is one, the potential existence of a list prompted speculation regarding a significant development in the entertainment industry. In September, it was revealed that a number of creatives had signed a pledge by the Film Workers for Palestine organization not to work with Israeli film institutions that, as the pledge stated, "are implicated* in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."
Many significant figures in Hollywood signed the boycott, including Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Elliot Page, Rooney Mara and Guy Pearce. Part of the pledge read (via Variety):
"As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions. In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror."
When the pledge was revealed, Paramount released a statement, condemning it (via Reuters): "We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. We need more engagement and communication — not less."
This led to speculation about whether or not Paramount's supposed list included actors who had joined the boycott. However, Variety is unclear on if the creatives who signed are part of the actors the company does not want to work with. Paramount has not been the only major company that's spoken out about the pledge. In response to it, a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson stated (via Variety):
"Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders. Our policies prohibit discrimination of any kind, including discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or ancestry. We believe a boycott of Israeli film institutions violates our policies. 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."