*Paramount is purportedly keeping a list of entertainment industry figures the studio has decided to exclude from future projects, Variety reports.
The list features performers characterized as “overly antisemitic,” “xenophobic,” or “homophobic.” This development emerges during a turbulent period for Paramount Skydance under David Ellison’s leadership, marked by widespread staff reductions and reported conversations about combining operations with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Last September, Paramount publicly rejected an open letter calling for a boycott of Israeli cinema organizations accused of “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” High-profile signatories of that letter included Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Tilda Swinton, Emma D’Arcy, and Elliot Page. Whether any of these individuals appear on Paramount’s alleged blacklist remains unknown.
Family relationships may shape Paramount’s positioning on these issues. Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, is reportedly close friends with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is a major donor to Friends of the IDF. Larry also has ties to President Donald Trump, whose administration greenlit the Paramount-Skydance merger.
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We reported earlier that a coalition of over 1,200 film industry professionals, including prominent figures like Ava DuVernay, has vowed to boycott Israeli film institutions. According to Deadline, the pledge, organized by Film Workers for Palestine, was announced through an open letter shared on Instagram. The boycott targets Israeli festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies deemed complicit in “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”
The letter states, “Inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa, we pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions — including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies — that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
In response, the Israeli Film and TV Producers Association condemned the boycott, arguing it targets the wrong group. “The signatories of this petition are targeting the wrong people,” the association stated, emphasizing that Israeli artists have long portrayed the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including Palestinian perspectives.
The association highlighted its collaborations with Palestinian creators to promote peace through storytelling, asserting, “For decades, we Israeli artists, storytellers, and creators have been the primary voices allowing audiences to hear and witness the complexity of the conflict, including Palestinian narratives and criticism of Israeli state policies.”
The Israeli producers called the boycott “shortsighted,” warning that it undermines collaborative efforts to end violence. “We work with Palestinian creators, telling our shared stories and promoting peace and an end to violence through thousands of films, TV series, and documentaries. This call for a boycott is profoundly misguided,” their statement read.
They further pledged to continue using storytelling as a tool for dialogue, adding, “We will not allow this and will push back in our efforts to end violence and bring just peace to our region for the benefit of all.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Ava DuVernay and Over 1,200 Film Industry Leaders Pledge Boycott of Israeli Film Institutions
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