Tom Cruise has publicly endorsed Paramount’s blockbuster $110 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, betting on a promise from CEO David Ellison to produce at least 30 films annually across both studios.
The endorsement arrives as Hollywood braces for seismic consolidation, with the merger already clearing federal antitrust review but facing a multistate legal challenge that could unwind the entire deal.
Cruise described the production target as “awesome” during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Ellison’s commitment, he said, would likely expand beyond the initial figure. “Those 30 movies are going to turn into 40 movies,” Cruise predicted. He framed the industry as “a community” and “family,” stressing that more theatrical releases would create opportunities for filmmakers he considers exceptionally talented.
The actor’s enthusiasm tracks with his long Paramount history. The studio has backed every Mission: Impossible installment, both Top Gun films, and a deep catalog spanning Days of Thunder, The Firm, Vanilla Sky, Collateral, War of the Worlds, and Jack Reacher. A Days of Thunder sequel remains slated for 2028.
However, George Clooney offered a starkly different take from the Venice International Film Festival. Consolidation at this scale, he warned, inevitably triggers widespread job losses. Clooney also defended Mark Ruffalo, who has emerged as one of the merger’s most visible celebrity critics. Ruffalo has argued that combining the two entertainment giants would slash employment, tighten control over major media properties, and compromise editorial independence. He has additionally pointed to the Ellison family’s Oracle ties and the company’s contracts with the Israeli military.
Paramount fired back by accusing Ruffalo of deploying antisemitic tropes, a charge he firmly rejected as mischaracterizing his objections to corporate and political entanglements. More than 170 Jewish artists, academics, and public figures signed an open letter backing Ruffalo and dismissing the accusation.
Meanwhile, California and 11 other states have filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the acquisition, arguing that reduced competition would raise prices across film and television. The Writers Guild of America has mounted a separate challenge.
The Justice Department cleared the deal, and Paramount claims regulators in at least 68 countries approved or declined to contest it. The state litigation now stands as the final major obstacle. If the transaction remains unfinished after September 30, Paramount faces a ticking fee of roughly $7 million per day owed to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders. Cruise remains unfazed by that uncertainty. “I know we’re going to get those 30 movies,” he said.
