President Donald Trump, Stephen Colbert and filmmakers weighed in this week on the tug-of-war over Warner Bros. Discovery.
Trump weighs in
Trump said Wednesday it is “imperative” that CNN be sold as part of any deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery, sharpening his long-running feud with the network as Netflix and Paramount Skydance compete to buy the company.
“You have some good companies bidding on it,” Trump told reporters, according to NBC News. “I think the people that are running CNN right now are either corrupt or incompetent.” He argued that whoever wins Warner Bros. should make significant changes to the network.
Trump framed his comments partly as an antitrust concern, saying he wants to be sure any deal is good for competition in streaming and news. But his remarks effectively put a thumb on the scale in a private takeover fight: Only Paramount’s $108.4 billion all-cash hostile bid includes CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery’s entire cable portfolio, while the already-announced Netflix deal would buy the studio and streaming businesses and leave CNN in a separate company.
Regulators were already expected to closely scrutinize whichever proposal ultimately wins. Trump suggests that he will probably be “involved in the decision.”
Stephen Colbert weighs in
On Tuesday’s “Late Show,” Colbert joked that Paramount’s $108 billion offer proves his “beloved parent company” can afford to keep his show on the air — a wink at CBS’ decision to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in 2026.
“If my company’s got that kind of green, I’m sure they can afford to uncancel one of their best shows,” Colbert said, before joking that he was talking about Queen Latifah’s recently canceled CBS drama “The Equalizer.” The studio audience erupted with the suggestion, forcing him to pause and ride out the cheers.
Colbert also zeroed in on how Paramount is financing its hostile bid. The company has lined up about $24 billion from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, along with backing from Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, according to Reuters.
“Turns out Paramount got a little assist on the cash front,” he said, adding: “And when the dictator of Saudi Arabia gives you billions of dollars, I’m sure there’s no catch.” He then imagined a future CBS comedy called “Young Mohammed bin Sheldon,” combining the “Young Sheldon” brand with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Filmmakers weigh in
Speaking to Dazed, director Guillermo del Toro — whose latest film, “Frankenstein,” was released earlier this year by Netflix — shared his thoughts, stressing the importance of the big screen, something that could be at risk if Netflix wins the bid.
“How they change entertainment is one thing. How they change the culture is another. I still believe it’s important to have the option of experiencing movies theatrically. As to the rest? I think it’s too early to even speculate. The deal will be real in 12 to 18 months, not right now.”
According to Vulture, del Toro earlier spoke about theatrical releases, and people watching movies on their phones, saying that “it takes 38,000 of those little things to form a screen. There’s no substitute.”
According to Bloomberg, James Gunn and Peter Safran — co-CEOs of DC Studios, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery — said that “the communal, theatrical experience is something that is incredibly important” and that large corporate deals won’t affect their plans on their scripts.
The Writers Guild of America weighed in on Dec. 5, stating that Netflix’s potential merger “must be blocked.”
After Paramount put its name in the ring, a Writers Guild of America representative told Vulture, “The problem is the acquisition and pending consolidation of two media giants, not who the buyer is. These companies should be focused on investing in their own businesses rather than wasting tens of billions to buy up the competition.”
The Directors Guild of America told Deadline that it would be meeting with Netflix to outline concerns.
The Producers Guild of America shared that it was concerned about the acquisition.
“As we navigate dynamic times of economic and technological change, our industry, together with policymakers, must find a way forward that protects producers’ livelihoods and real theatrical distribution, and that fosters creativity, promotes opportunities for workers and artists, empowers consumers with choices, and upholds freedom of speech,” a statement said.