Tony Gilroy Criticizes Paramount Warner Bros Merger at Film Premiere

Filmmaker Tony Gilroy strongly criticized the impending merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery during the premiere of his new movie Behemoth. Variety, Deadline, and IndieWire reported that the world premiere took place at the New York Film Festival on October 3, where Gilroy presented the drama starring Pedro Pascal. [1][4][7]

Variety reported that Gilroy called the corporate deal tragic and stated that it will destroy a healthy and beautiful business in the name of venture capital. According to Variety, the movie was made on a budget of 36 million dollars, serving as an example of the adult-oriented mid-budget drama that once sustained the theatrical business. [1]

During a question and answer session after the screening, actor Pedro Pascal said he was surprised by how intimate the project was, according to Deadline. IndieWire and The Wrap reported that Pascal stars as a wayward cellist in the film, which marks a return to cinema for Gilroy after creating the television series Andor. [4][5][7]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are preparing to close a merger valued at approximately 110 billion dollars on October 6. Variety reported that David Ellison announced the merged entity will operate under the name Skydance, which is the original film production company of Ellison. [2][11]