Hollywood
‘Veronica Mars’ to be available for online streaming and download on same day as release
MUMBAI: You can now follow the alumni of Neptune High right from the television screen to your living room. Warner Bros, the studio behind the film, Veronica Mars – based on the TV series created by Rob Thomas, will make the movie available for rent or buy online through cable and satellite providers on the day of the movie’s theatrical release on 14 March, same day it releases in limited AMC theatres across the United States.
Instead of sharing ticket sales with the theatres, Warner Bros has opted to rent screen at 270 theatres which would bring them 100 per cent of the ticket sale.
The film follows Veronica Mars, who has moved to New York City nine years after the events of Season 3, but is forced to return when her old boyfriend Logan Echolls is once again accused of murder.
Last March, the star of the show Kristen Bell and show creator Rob Thomas got together and launched a Kickstarter campaign to encourage the fans of the show to fund it. In its first day on Kickstarter, the project broke the record as the fastest project to reach first $1 million, then $2 million; it also achieved the highest minimal pledging goal achieved and was the largest successful film project on Kickstarter. On its final campaign day, the project broke the record for the most backers on a single Kickstarter project!
The film reunites most of the cast from the cult favourite series – along with Kirsten Bell (House of Lies), the ensemble cast includes Jason Dohring (Moonlight), Kyrsten Ritter (Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23), Ryan Hansen (2 Broke Girls), Chris Lowell (Private Practice) with Ken Marino (We’re the Millers), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday), Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks), Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan), Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard) and James Franco (Spider Man).
Hollywood
Paramount Skydance secures financing for Warner Bros Discovery deal
Debt syndication and new loans push $111 billion merger closer to close
WASHINGTON: Paramount Skydance has taken a major step towards its planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, securing fresh financing and completing the syndication of its bridge loan facility.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed that the bridge facility has now been distributed among a group of 18 banks, reducing total commitments to $49 billion from an earlier $54 billion. The move spreads risk across lenders and signals growing confidence in one of the year’s largest media deals.
Alongside this, the company has finalised permanent financing arrangements, including $5 billion in senior term loans and a $5 billion revolving credit facility. A previously planned $3.5 billion credit line has been dropped as part of the restructuring.
The loans are secured against key assets, including Paramount Global, Skydance Media and Warner Bros post-merger, underlining the scale and complexity of the transaction.
The financing push follows a competitive bidding process earlier this year, which saw interest from players such as Netflix before Paramount Skydance emerged as the frontrunner. The deal, valued at $111 billion, is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Adding to the momentum, the company has also secured significant equity backing, including investments from Middle Eastern funds, with support from billionaire Larry Ellison, who has guaranteed the equity portion of the transaction.
Commenting on the development, Paramount Skydance chief strategy officer Andy Gordon said, “Our successful debt syndication and new debt facilities represent another important milestone towards the completion of our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.”
Once completed, the combined entity is expected to carry net debt of just under $80 billion, reflecting the sheer scale of the merger.
As Hollywood continues to consolidate in the streaming era, this deal could reshape the competitive landscape, with Paramount Skydance betting big on scale, content and financial muscle to take on global rivals.
