Hollywood
Benedict Cumberbatch to play Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’
MUMBAI: After months of speculations, the Sherlock famed Benedict Cumberbatch is the final choice for the titular role in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, according to media reports.
Slated for release on 8 July 2016, the feature will be directed by Scott Derrickson. Cumberbatch will play Dr Stephen Strange, a former neurosurgeon who, after losing the use of his hands, turns to the mystic arts and the occult. He will serve as the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats.
Doctor Strange made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe in 1963, and was first created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the pages of Strange Tales No 110. He has also been a longtime member of superhero teams like Avengers, and wielded a significant influence as a member of the Illuminati, which included the likes of Professor X, Mister Fantastic, and Iron Man.
For the past few months, some of big Hollywood names have been linked to the role including Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, Justin Theroux, Ethan Hawke and Keanu Reeves.
Marvel also plans to release the third Captain America movie along with the feature.
In addition to his well-received ‘Sherlock’ series, for which he won an Emmy this year, he’s earned a great deal of Oscar buzz for his performance as cyberpioneer Alan Turing for The Imitation Game.
Hollywood
Paramount responds to Warner Bros’ seven-day negotiation offer
$30 all-cash bid battles Netflix pact as board sets March vote
NEW YORK: The streaming wars have taken a corporate twist, with Paramount Skydance sharpening its pitch just as Warner Bros. Discovery doubles down on its planned tie-up with Netflix.
In a pointed statement, Paramount said WBD’s board has granted it a seven-day window to negotiate, but stopped short of formally declaring the $30-per-share all-cash offer a superior proposal. Such a determination would normally open the door to talks without a ticking clock.
Instead, the WBD board is pressing ahead with its special shareholder meeting on 20 March to seek approval for the Netflix merger. Proxy materials already sent to investors put the deal’s value in a range between $21.23 and $27.75 per share.
Paramount’s counter, by contrast, is simpler and sweeter. It offers $30 per share in cash, plus a quarterly ticking fee of $0.25 per share until the transaction closes, promising what it calls a faster and more certain route to completion.
While it described the board’s approach as unusual, Paramount said it is ready to engage in good-faith discussions during the short negotiating window. At the same time, it is not putting all its chips on the table. The company plans to continue its tender offer, campaign against the Netflix merger, and push ahead with plans to nominate its own slate of directors at WBD’s upcoming annual meeting.
For investors, it now reads like a three-act drama: a richer cash bid on one side, a strategic streaming partner on the other, and a board trying to keep both suitors in the wings, at least for a week.
