Hollywood
Brett Lee all set for his new innings
MUMBAI: After a legendary inning in cricket, Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee is all set to star in his first lead role as an actor in an Indo-Australian romantic comedy.
Titled UnIndian, the movie is the first feature to be produced by the recently established Australia India Film Fund (AIFF). Lee will share screen space with Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee.
The announcement about the upcoming film was done by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indian cricket’s living legend Sachin Tendulkar during their meet at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.
Written by Thushy Saathi and to be directed by Anupam Sharma, the movie will be shot primarily in Sydney. Sharma and Lisa Duff are co-producing the film while Chandru Tolani is the executive producer.
After being part of a Bollywood film and music video, former Australia cricketer Brett Lee is all set to become a full-time actor in an Indo-Australian romantic comedy, aptly titled ‘UnIndian’.
“I’m honoured to have been cast as a lead in the first AIFF film, privileged to be working with Anupam Sharma and humbled to be working with an actress of the calibre of Tannishtha Chatterjee,” Lee said in a statement.
Lee plays the role of a happy-go-lucky man who falls in love with divorcee and single mother, Meera (Chatterjee). The movie is set to go into production in October and expected to hit the theatres in March 2015.
While this is not Lee’s first stint with movies, he has earlier done a cameo in Hindi film Victory starring Harman Baweja and has also featured in a music video with Asha Bhosle, Chatterjee is best known for her role in Brick Lane (2007), a British film.
AIFF was established in 2013 to invest in Australian films with Indian themes for a global audience.
The 37-year-old pacer, announced his retirement from international cricket in 2012, however, the cricketer still plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
