Hollywood
Steven Caple Jr. reflects on Transformers’ impact on his life
Mumbai: The highly successful Transformers franchise aims to build upon its existing legacy with its upcoming release, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. While director Steven Caple Jr. already has grand plans for the future, he opens up about how the franchise has influenced him.
Caple recalls how much he loved the original “Beast Wars: Transformers” animated series as a child. The show premiered when he was eight years old, and after watching each episode, he and his friends would meet up after school and try to wrap their heads around how different it was from other cartoons at the time.
He said, “I remember thinking how weird it was, because they were trying something new with the animation, and Optimus Prime wasn’t in it. But as it went on, the storyline got really good. It had a lot of heart and a bunch of twists and turns, so I stuck around for all three seasons.”
Returning with the action and spectacle that’s captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on the ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – joining them as allies in the epic battle for earth.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres on 9 June 2023, in English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu in 2D, 3D, 4D, and IMAX.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
