News Broadcasting
Toonz joins forces with Paramount Home Entertainment and Commotion Pictures to produce Dragonlance
MUMBAI: Toonz Animation India, India’s animation studio, has signed a contract with Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) and Commotion Pictures to produce an animated feature film titled Dragonlance.
The animated feature film to be produced by Toonz, PHE and Commotion pictures is based on Hasbro’s Dungeons and Dragons property. The film will be distributed theatrically in India by Toonz, and on DVD in the U.S. and internationally (except for Asia) by Paramount Home Entertainment. Commotion Pictures’ producer Steve Stabler and Paramount Pictures former marketing president Arthur Cohen will produce the film, asserts an official release.
Commenting on the deal, Toonz Animation India CEO P. Jayakumar said, “We are thrilled to have entered into an agreement with accomplished producers like Steve Stabler and Arthur Cohen. This is an incredible opportunity to create an exciting film with global appeal and iconic characters.”
Dragonlance will feature the voice of Keifer Sutherland (24), Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Ice Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Paramount Home Entertainment senior vice president worldwide acquisitions and DVD premieres Ellen Pittleman added, “We’re very excited to bring the wildly popular world of Dungeons and Dragons to the screen. We are confident that Commotion Pictures and Toonz will do the property justice to the delight of fans around the world.”
Dragonlance is based on Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first novel in the bestselling Dragonlance fantasy franchise, published by Wizards of the Coast. Though the gods have long battled for control of this beautiful sword-and sorcery world, it has always been the heroic deeds of mortals that decide its fate.
The story begins as Tanis Half-Elven meets up with his old friends Flint Gireforge (a grumpy dwarven warrior), Tasslehoff Burrfoot (a tiny and inquisitive rogue), Raislin Majere (the dark, mysterious human wizard) and Sturm Brightblad (valiant human knight). Reunited after an unsuccessful five-year journey to seek out signs of the old gods, these companions are thrown into a conflict over a legendary blue crystal staff, wielded by the barbarian princess Goldmoon.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
