Paramount, under the new leadership of David Ellison, has pushed back against the largest boycott in recent entertainment history.
After more than 3,900 industry figures pledged not to work with Israeli film institutions and creatives, Paramount, which was acquired last month by the Larry Ellison family and private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, made its opposition to the filmmakers’ campaign crystal clear, issuing a statement condemning the entire movement.
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. This is our creative mission
We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.
In a statement in response to the pledge, the Israeli Film and TV Producers Association said, “The signatories of this petition are targeting the wrong people.”
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.
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.
Paramount is the first major studio to comment publicly on the boycott. The pledge, organized by Film Workers for Palestine and published Monday, initially featured 1,200 signatories, including filmmakers Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Boots Riley, and Adam McKay, as well as actors Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Emma Stone, and others.
By Wednesday, the list had grown to over 3,900 names, adding such names as Andrew Garfield, Harris Dickinson, Guy Pearce, Jonathan Glazer, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Payal Kapadia, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara.
The pledge calls on industry professionals to refuse work with Israeli creatives “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” citing complicity through “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”