Hollywood
‘Fast and Furious 7’ expected to release next summer
MUMBAI: Universal Pictures recently declared that it has shifted the release date of the seventh installment of ‘Fast and Furious’.
According to Hollywood Reporter the Studio is planning a worldwide day-and-date opening for the movie and has decided that opening a week earlier will allow it to book more international play dates. The movie will hit theaters in April 2015, a week earlier than previously planned.
The film, which will be helmed by James Wan, was earlier slated for a summer 2014 release which had been postponed due actor Paul Walker’s tragic car accident in November 2013.
The movie will see the 40-year-old late actor, Vin Diesel, and Dwayne Johnson, along with Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black, and will also star Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell.
As reported in Forbes, by coincidence or as a result, Focus Features is moving Insidious 3 from 3 April to 29 May of next year. On a surface level, this new date merely puts the film on the same weekend as Fast & Furious, which opened on 3 April 2009 to a record (for April at the time) opening weekend of $70.9 million.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
