Rumors are swirling in Hollywood about a potential blacklist targeting stars who express controversial political views, particularly those deemed antisemitic. According to a report from Variety, Paramount Pictures, now helmed by David Ellison—a billionaire with known ties to former President Trump—is allegedly taking a hard stance against actors whose beliefs might stir controversy. The alleged blacklist includes those labeled as antisemitic, xenophobic, or homophobic, suggesting a zero-tolerance policy for such attitudes.

In a striking move last September, Paramount became the first major film studio to publicly oppose an open letter signed by numerous high-profile celebrities. This letter called for a boycott of Israeli film organizations accused of participating in the oppression of Palestinians. Among the signatories were notable figures like Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Hannah Einbinder, Aimee Lou Wood, Peter Sarsgaard, Rooney Mara, and acclaimed director Yorgos Lanthimos. While it remains uncertain if these individuals have been placed on Paramount’s alleged blacklist, the studio has refrained from commenting on the matter when approached by the Daily Mail.

Last year, actress Susan Sarandon revealed she believed she was blacklisted in Hollywood due to her outspoken support for Gaza and her comments regarding Israel and Jewish communities. She shared with The Times that her agency had dropped her and her projects were shelved, serving as a cautionary tale for others in the industry. In 2023, following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, actress Melissa Barrera faced similar repercussions. She was reportedly ousted from her role in Scream 7 by Spyglass Entertainment after voicing criticism of Israel’s response and expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

In a statement to Variety at the time, Spyglass said, ‘We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.’ David Ellison (pictured), the son of billionaire entrepreneur Larry Ellison, took over as the head of Paramount in August when the merger between his father’s company Skydance Media and Paramount Global was completed. 

As part of the post-Ellison changes at Paramount, journalist Bari Weiss (pictured) was named Editor-in-Chief at CBS News. Weiss is a self-professed zionist who has emerged as one of the biggest supporters of Israel through her media outlet The Free Press following the Oct 7 Hamas terror attacks. Other changes at Paramount include producing more films that can appeal to middle America.

According to Variety, upcoming projects at Paramount include a new Top Gun sequel, a film based on the Call of Duty video game franchise, and a motocross thriller starring Timothée Chalamet. In August, Ellison announced plans for Paramount to make up to 20 films-a-year – up from the 11 to 14 Paramount previously produced. All of these releases will be theatrical, he said, emphasizing the importance of big screen productions over streaming. Similarly, he refuses to use the studio’s streaming platform, Paramount+, as a landing page for low-budget B films, he said.

There are plans to shed any prior political connotations that may be tied to the company, after Paramount settled with President Trump for $16million after he sued 60 Minutes over their editing of a Kamala Harris interview. ‘We’re an entertainment company first, and I genuinely believe if you’re breathing, you’re our audience,’ Ellison said at a press conference. ‘I don’t want to politicize this company,’ he continued. ‘We want to be in the business of speaking to everybody. One of our biggest priorities is actually restoring Paramount as the No. 1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world. Very simply, great filmmakers make great movies.’

One of the newly installed co-chairs of Paramount Pictures, Dana Goldberg added that alongside Top Gun 3, moviegoers can expect a Star Trek sequel very soon. The days-old company has already secure the U.S. streaming and television rights for the ever-popular UFC MMA promotion for $7.7 billion – almost the same sum it spent to acquire Paramount. 

Fights will air on Paramount+ and CBS exclusively for the next seven years, the company said – months after Ellison was spotted at a UFC event in Miami with Trump in April. Last month, Trump gushed about his friendship with both David and his billionaire father Larry – who is the world’s second richest man after Elon Musk. ‘Well, I tell you what, Larry Ellison is great, and his son David is great. They’re friends of mine. They’re big supporters of mine. And they’ll do the right thing,’ Trump said.