A raft of Hollywood A-listers, including Ben Stiller , Mark Ruffalo and Robert De Niro , have pushed back against the impending Paramount and Warner Bros. merger.

Negotiations over the future of Warner Bros. Studios have been taking place in recent months, with Netflix at one point being perceived as the frontrunner. However, in February, the streaming company backed out of the bidding, leaving the way clear for Paramount Skydance to acquire the major studio .

This week, Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the $111billion (£82million) takeover, which will see Paramount Skydance, backed by the tech billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David, take control of all Warner Bros.…