A potential corporate purchase notwithstanding, Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday followed Paramount‘s lead in rejecting an A-lister-heavy boycott of the Israeli film industry over the war in Gaza.
“Warner Bros Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders,” a WBD spokesperson told Deadline in a statement.
“Our policies prohibit discrimination of any kind, including discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or ancestry,” the David Zaslav-led company added. “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.”
WBD’s remarks come just days after the release of the final living Israeli hostages kidnapped two years ago during Hamas’ murderous rampage in Gaza-bordering settlements, kibbutzim and IDF stations. It also follows a multi-national signing ceremony in Egypt over the Donald Trump-brokered 20-point peace plan — a plan that is already being strained.
Odd timing aside, WBD’s statement is a reaction to the letter that the likes of Emma Stone, Peter Sarsgaard, Lily Gladstone, Elliot Page, Ava DuVernay and Olivia Colman signed in early September advocating boycotting Israeli film institutions that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
On September 12, the now David Ellison-owned Paramount Skydance pushed back against the Film Workers for Palestine letter for attempting to silence “individual creative artists based on their nationality.
“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,” the company and home of the October 7 miniseries Red Alert added. “This is our creative mission.”
Of course, as everyone around town knows, another mission for Par is to try to take over WBD. Having seen an admittedly lowball bid declined last week, the Ellisons (David and his father, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, aka one of the world’s richest men) are determined to take another swing at the home of HBO with what looks to be an offer in the $60 billion range.
Variety was first to report on the WBD statement.