Hollywood
‘Gone Girl’ trailer finally released
MUMBAI: First shown at CinemaCon, the teaser trailer of David Fincher’s next film Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck and Neil Patrick Harris has finally been released online for the mass public.
Having spent eight weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list at #1, Gone Girl – the principal suspense comes from an uncertainty about the main character, Nick Dunne, and whether he killed his wife, Amy Dunne when the latter goes missing on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary.
The book has a 3.93 rating based on 441, 306 ratings on Goodreads. The book is a “pathological, twisted freak-show of a relationship so demented that it leaves wanting for more”!
Hairspray screenwriter Leslie Dixon read the manuscript of the novel in 2011 and brought it to the attention of Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, Legally Blonde) in December of that year. Soon after, Academy Award winning actress Reese Witherspoon swopped in and bought the rights to the film adaptation of the blockbuster hit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Witherspoon was drawn to the script because of its strong female character and its use of multiple perspectives and non-linear structure.
In January of 2013, it was announced that Witherspoon will only be producing, and will not be starring in the film. By May, Golden Globe Award winning director David Fincher (The Social Network, The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo) was attached to the project with another Academy Award winner Ben Affleck (Argo) soon joining the project as the lead, Nick Dunne along with Rosamund Pike (Pride & Prejudice, Die Another Day) as his missing wife, Amy.
In several interviews, Flynn has said she was interested in exploring the psychology and dynamics of a long-term relationship. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, where Flynn worked as a television critic before bursting out as an author, she hinted that the film will have a different design than her twisty novel.
Throughout the trailer, you might hear quite a few dialogues exchanged for more than a few seconds over Charles Aznavour serenading his classic English love song, “She”, but the haunting cover played in the background is by Richard Butler from The Psychedelic Furs.
From the trailer, it becomes quickly evident the film will resonate the dark and haunting tone that is seen in most of Fincher’s films.
Hollywood
Warner Bros board reopens talks after Paramount raises bid to $31 a share
Netflix has four days to revise $27.75-a-share proposal
NEW YORK: The board of Warner Bros Discovery has reopened talks with Paramount Skydance after the rival bidder raised its cash offer to $31 a share, intensifying a takeover contest for one of Hollywood’s most prized studios, Reuters reported.
Paramount’s revised proposal has pulled Warner Bros’ directors back to the negotiating table, even as Netflix risks losing its status as the preferred suitor. The board said it had not yet concluded whether Paramount’s offer was superior to the Netflix deal, but confirmed it would engage further with both sides. Should a higher bid emerge, Netflix has four business days to respond.
In a bid to strengthen its hand, Paramount increased the termination fee payable if regulators block the deal to $7 billion, up from $5.8 billion. It also agreed to pay Warner shareholders 25 cents a share per quarter for every quarter beyond 30 September that the transaction fails to close. Paramount further offered to inject additional equity should lenders raise concerns about financing at completion.
Paramount’s $31-a-share bid is an all-cash offer for the entire company. Netflix, by contrast, has proposed $27.75 a share in cash, valuing the deal at $82.7 billion including net debt, for Warner’s film and television studios, content library and the HBO Max streaming platform.
The comparison is muddied by structure. Warner plans to spin off its television networks into a separately listed company, Discovery Global. The ultimate value of Netflix’s offer therefore depends on the spun-off unit’s debt load and market valuation. The board estimates Discovery Global could trade between $1.33 and $6.86 a share, potentially lifting overall shareholder returns above Paramount’s earlier $30-a-share proposal.
Either outcome would reshape Hollywood’s balance of power, handing the winner a deep content vault and enduring franchises including Game of Thrones and DC Comics. Netflix has ample cash to raise its offer, while Paramount argues it faces fewer regulatory hurdles in the United States. It has also signalled readiness to mount a board challenge at Warner’s annual meeting if its proposal is rejected.
That pressure is building. One potential director nominee floated by Paramount is Pentwater Capital Management chief executive Matthew Halbower, one of Warner’s largest shareholders. Separately, activist investor Ancora Holdingshas accused the board of insufficient engagement with Paramount.
Warner is due to report quarterly results this week, which may shed more light on the value of its cable television assets. Paramount reports earnings on Wednesday. A shareholder vote on the Netflix deal is scheduled for 20 March.
