Movies
James Harden teams up with Utopai Studios for AI animated short
NBA star’s iconic beard takes centre stage in playful AI-driven story
MUMBAI: James Harden has partnered with Utopai Studios to release a short animated video that puts a spotlight on one of sport’s most recognisable features, his beard.
The video, now live across Harden’s social media channels including Instagram and X, turns his signature look into a playful, character-driven narrative, blending sport, personality and emerging technology.
The collaboration began as a creative experiment after Harden’s team was introduced to PAI, Utopai Studios’ proprietary cinematic storytelling AI. What started as a trial quickly evolved into a full-fledged project, with the basketball star returning for a second collaboration, signalling growing confidence in the platform’s capabilities.
PAI is designed to go beyond simple prompts, enabling creators to transform scripts and ideas into structured visual sequences. It builds consistent characters, cinematic shots and cohesive storylines through a production-style workflow, positioning itself as a tool for filmmakers rather than just a novelty for experimentation.
Speaking about the project, James Harden said, “I love playing around on PAI. We were able to cook up this animated short about my beard real quick. It’s been fun working with Utopai Studios and we got more on the way.”
The project reflects a broader trend of athletes expanding their personal brands through digital storytelling, with AI increasingly becoming part of the creative toolkit. For Utopai Studios, it also serves as a proof point that its technology can move from demos to real-world creative output.
With more collaborations hinted at, this beard-led animation might just be the start of a longer creative run where sport meets storytelling in unexpected ways.
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.
