Clooney Defends Ruffalo's Merger Criticism

George Clooney has defended fellow actor Mark Ruffalo's public criticism of the proposed $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery by Paramount. Speaking in Venice, Clooney expressed his own worries about the consequences of further consolidation in the film industry.

Clooney made the comments ahead of receiving the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement. He stated his support for Ruffalo's "ability to speak freely" about the merger while sharing his own doubts about the deal's impact.

Clooney's Stance on Consolidation

"I worry when a big company swallows up another company," Clooney said. He explained that he always worries when large corporations consolidate because it typically leads to widespread job losses. The actor also questioned the financial logic of the Paramount-Warner deal, noting, "I don't know how this goes through. There are so many issues involved."

Beyond this specific merger, Clooney raised broader concerns about media ownership concentrating among the world's wealthiest individuals. When asked about the state of journalism, he pointed to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, and Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X.

Ruffalo's Controversial Opposition

Mark Ruffalo has become one of the most vocal opponents of the merger. Last month, the Marvel star used social media to attack the proposed deal and its potential consequences for Hollywood. His criticism extended to the Ellison family, which is behind Paramount.

Ruffalo accused the family of being complicit in what he termed the "genocide" of Palestinians, arguing their fortune was "built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle." Paramount's chief executive, David Ellison, is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Ruffalo highlighted Oracle's business ties to the Israeli military, sharing a video of Oracle executive vice-chair and Paramount board member Safra Catz discussing technologies used after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Paramount responded by accusing Ruffalo of invoking antisemitic tropes, a charge the actor rejected. More than 170 Jewish artists, academics, and public figures later signed an open letter defending Ruffalo and warning against attempts to silence criticism of Israel or the merger.

A Principle of Free Speech

Clooney firmly backed Ruffalo's right to express these views, regardless of agreement. "I support Mark Ruffalo's ability to speak freely," Clooney stated. "I think that that's ridiculous. We're not going to ban speech. I believe in free speech even when I completely disagree with it."

He framed this as a fundamental democratic principle. "There are going to be people tonight in the room that are going to disagree with most everything I say or stand for. Fair enough." Clooney said. He concluded his defense on a personal note, adding, "I will always support Mark Ruffalo's ability to speak freely. I like him. He's a good man."

Broader Industry Concerns

During the Venice appearance, Clooney also warned that artificial intelligence will become "a very big part of this industry" but will "hurt us in a lot of ways." He joked about the potential misuse of his likeness, saying, "I would like to avoid being in a tampon commercial 20 years after I'm dead."

The prominent critic of Donald Trump briefly touched on U.S. politics, suggesting the November midterm elections "should be a check and balance." He expressed hope that by 2028, "with any luck, we'll have some restoration into normalcy."

Clooney will accept the lifetime achievement award on Wednesday evening. The event presents a striking parallel to his recent work; last year, he attended the festival for Noah Baumbach's film Jay Kelly, in which he played an ageing Hollywood star travelling to Italy to receive a lifetime achievement honour. His co-star from that film, Laura Dern, will present him with the actual Golden Lion award, capping a relationship with the Venice festival that began with his appearance for Out of Sight in 1998.