Hollywood
‘Fast & Furious 7’ trailer out!
NEW DELHI: Star Movies and Universal Pictures International – India gave fans a sneak peek into the latest sequel of the Fast and Furious franchise ‘Fast & Furious 7’, by airing its first look on 2 November 2014, thus giving Indian viewers the opportunity to watch the trailer along with the rest of the world.
Thirteen years ago, Universal Pictures released the action film set within the underground street-racing subculture of East Los Angeles called The Fast and the Furious.
Six films later, the franchise has grown into a global sensation, garnering more than $2.3 billion in worldwide box-office receipts and setting a record as Universal’s highest grossing franchise in history.
The trailer of the seventh edition of one of the most iconic movie franchises in the world was launched by Star Movies together with Universal Pictures. The film will be releasing in cinemas on 3 April 2015.
In less than 24 hours, the video garnered over 9 million impressions.
The first look of Fast & Furious 7 awaits fans at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvKV6j1VGU8 and https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10150446412769964&set=vb.73166874963&engine=2&theater.
Hollywood
Trump invested over $1.1m in Netflix bonds at the peak of Warner Bros bidding battle
Financial disclosures show U.S. president also bought Warner Bros Discovery debt during high-stakes media takeover race.
WASHINGTON: New government financial disclosures show that U.S. president Donald Trump purchased more than $1.1 million worth of bonds issued by Netflix over the past three months. The transactions occurred during a period when Netflix was engaged in a competitive bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, a potential merger that the Trump administration had publicly criticised on antitrust grounds.
Between December and January, the president acquired Netflix bonds valued between $1.1 million and $2.25 million. The bonds carry a 5.375 per cent interest rate and are scheduled to mature in November 2029. Financial disclosures also revealed an additional investment in Warner Bros Discovery bonds. The purchase was valued between $500,002 and $1 million, with the debt reportedly bought at roughly 92 cents on the dollar. The bonds are now trading at around 95 cents on the dollar, leaving the position currently in profit.
The timing of the investments has drawn scrutiny because the administration had been openly critical of Netflix’s market activities at the time. While the president’s trust was purchasing the debt, the administration reportedly pressured Netflix to remove board member Susan Rice and expressed concerns that a Netflix–Warner merger could harm competition.
The White House has dismissed conflict-of-interest concerns, stating that the president’s assets are managed independently by his children. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said U.S. presidents are legally exempt from the conflict-of-interest laws that apply to other federal officials.
Despite the financial interest, Netflix ultimately lost the race to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. Paramount Skydance secured the deal on 27 February with a $110 billion offer. The acquisition was backed by Larry Ellison, who guaranteed $40 billion to support the bid, while major lenders including Bank of America, Citigroup and Apollo Global Management provided $39 billion in financing.
The final acquisition leaves the combined Paramount entity carrying roughly $85 billion in debt, while Netflix withdrew its bid roughly two weeks before the official disclosure report was released.
