Paramount has denounced a pledge signed by Mark Ruffalo, Emma Stone and more than 4,000 other Hollywood talent vowing to boycott Israeli film institutions amid the Middle Eastern country's military campaign in Gaza.
"Joker" star Joaquin Phoenix and "White Lotus" actress Aimee Lou Wood were among the names on the Sept. 8 pledge condemning Israel for its assault that the Gaza Health Ministry says has killed more than 64,000 people since October 2023.
In a Sept. 12 statement reported by Reuters, Paramount became the first the major studio to address the boycott shared by advocacy group Film Workers for Palestine.
"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," Paramount said. "We need more engagement and communication - not less."
Responding to Paramount's statement, Film Workers for Palestine criticized the studio for possibly "intentionally misrepresenting the pledge in an attempt to silence our colleagues in the film industry."
