Hollywood
Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke to be honoured at NY film fest
MUMBAI: The New York Film Festival (NYFF), this year will honour veteran actors Ethan Hawke and Richard Gere. The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that the actors would be guest of honours at the fest’s ‘An Evening With…’ series.
While Hawke’s tribute will take place on 30 September, during which he will participate in an ‘intimate dinner’ and a conversation between the guests and NYFF director Kent Jones, Gere will be honoured on 8 October.
The ‘An Evening With…’ galas are meant to recognise the work of individuals who have made significant artistic contributions to film culture.
While Hawke will be attending the festival as a director on behalf of his documentary Seymour: An Introduction, a documentary about the pianist Seymour Bernstein, Gere’s new movie Time Out of Mind, in which he plays a homeless man, will also be screened at the annual fest.
The festival will open this year with the world premiere of David Fincher’s Gone Girl and will also feature the world premiere of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, Inherent Vice, as its centerpiece selection.
Previous honourees include Nicole Kidman, David Cronenberg, Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes. This is the 52nd year of the festival and it will run from 26 September to 12 October. The 17-day festival will host 30 films this year.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
