Hollywood
Paramount & Anonymous Content to make ‘The Windfall’ as a TV series
MUMBAI: Paramount TV and Anonymous Content have come together to develop Indian author Diksha Basu’s upcoming debut novel The Windfall as a TV series.
Indian filmmaker Shonali Bose has been assigned the responsibility to write and direct the potential plot. Rosalie Swedlin and Doreen Wilcox Little are the executive producers for Anonymous Content under the company’s first-look deal with Paramount TV.
Scheduled to be published in June by Penguin Random House imprint Crown, The Windfall tells the story of an Indian couple in Delhi who are suddenly catapulted from their humble middle class origins into massive wealth. When they leave their safe and yet claustrophobic environs of their East Delhi home, and move to a mansion in the plush new suburb of Gurgaon, the family discovers what it means to be nouveau riche in modern India as they struggle to fit in.
Paramount TV and Anonymous Content’s previous collaborations include series Berlin Station, now in production on its second season for Epix; 13 Reasons Why, based on Jay Asher’s bestselling YA book, premiering 31 March on Netflix; Maniac, to be directed by Cary Fukunaga starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, also for Netflix; and The Alienist for TNT, based on Caleb Carr’s novel.
Also in the works are Spoonbenders, based on Daryl Gregory’s upcoming novel; a series based on Rebecca Traister’s bestselling book All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation; a series based on 9-year-old journalist Hilde Lysiak’s book series Hilde Cracks the Case; Legbreakers, an English language version of the hit Swedish drama series Torpederna with Irvine Welsh penning the pilot; and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: and Other Lessons from the Crematory, adapted and executive produced by Nurse Jackie co-creator Evan Dunsky, based on Caitlin Doughty’s bestselling memoir.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
