(Image Source: Harper's Bazaar)
Two months ago, over 4,000 Hollywood professionals, including director Adam McKay and actors Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Tilda Swinton, and Olivia Colman, signed a petition. This petition pledged to refuse collaboration with Israeli institutions and companies "allegedly involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people," a move that sparked significant backlash.
(Image Source: Vogue)
This petition quickly drew a response from Skydance Media, which publicly stated its disagreement with such boycotts of Israeli film and television professionals. The studio expressed that these boycotts do not foster peace or mutual understanding, and instead, the global entertainment industry and artists should be encouraged to share their stories to promote communication. Warner Bros. Discovery also publicly announced it would not follow suit, citing a violation of its internal anti-discrimination policy. Furthermore, over 1,200 Hollywood figures, including Liev Schreiber and Debra Messing, even launched a counter-petition, urging their boycotting colleagues not to fuel antisemitism.
However, the latest development suggests that Skydance Media is not merely expressing public disagreement; it is reportedly blacklisting those involved in the boycott.
(Image Source: Variety)
Today, Variety magazine published a feature report on the future operational strategies of Skydance Media's new CEO, David Ellison. The report mentioned that Skydance Media maintains an internal blacklist of artists, directors, and producers deemed to have "openly advocated antisemitism" or hold "xenophobic or homophobic" stances. Skydance will unequivocally refuse to collaborate with these individuals. However, it remains unclear whether those who signed the aforementioned petition are included on this list.
Ellison's father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, has close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is a generous benefactor of the Israel Defense Forces. He also provided funding to help his son's Skydance Media acquire Paramount. This further solidified the political stance of Paramount's executives, who were already sensitive to anti-Israel sentiment.
via： Variety