International
Oracle founder’s son raises $350 million to co-finance films with Paramount
MUMBAI: Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison’s son David Ellison has raised $350 million to co-finance films with Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures.
The funds valuing $150 million in equity and a four-year $200-million revolving credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase will enable Ellison to step up production at Skydance Productions, his production house.
Ellison hopes to make four to six films a year at his 4-year-old Santa Monica-based production company. Skydance will focus on big-budget action, adventure, science fiction and fantasy films as well as modestly budgeted comedies and genre pictures. In turn, Paramount will have first dibs on all of Skydance‘s projects in development, with the opportunity to co-finance and distribute films that the company produces.
Paramount‘s first big-budget film that Ellison will co-finance are the by Brad Bird directed Mission: Impossible 4 that stars Tom Cruise, True Grit starring Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges and an untitled film starring Chris Pine. Skydance is also co-developing License to Steal, an action heist movie with Paramount. The film, about the high-end repo business, will be produced with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Ellison has a number of moderately budgeted projects in development including an untitled comedy written by David Caspe starring Charlize Theron and Hyde based on the Dark Horse comic The Strange Case of Hyde that is being adapted for the big screen by Cole Haddon and produced with Mark Gordon and Dark Horse Entertainment.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
