Hollywood
2014 Writer’s Guild of America nominations unveiled
MUMBAI: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently announced the nominees for the 2014 WGA Awards. The list includes adapted screenplay, original screenplay and documentary screenplay.
In the Best Adapted Screenplay category, the WGA Awards 2014 nominees are: Tracy Letts for August: Osage County, directed by John Well and starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Juliette Lewis, Ewan McGregor, and Dermot Mulroney; Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke for Before Midnight, the trio’s sequel to both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset; Billy Ray for Captain Phillips, directed by Paul Greengrass, and starring Tom Hanks; Peter Berg for Lone Survivor, directed by Berg, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, and Ben Foster; and Terence Winter for The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Jean Dujardin.
The Best Original Screenplay nominations for the WGA Awards 2014 include Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell for American Hustle, directed by Russell and starring Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence; Woody Allen for Blue Jasmine, directed by Allen and starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, and Alec Baldwin; Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack for Dallas Buyers Club, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, and starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Garner; Spike Jonze for Her, directed by Jonze, and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, and the voice of Scarlett Johansson; and Bob Nelson for Nebraska, directed by Alexander Payne, and starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and June Squibb.
Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis, and Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón’s Gravitywere some of the surprising snubs. The former is a well-received comedy-drama, while the latter is an equally well-received and immensely popular thriller mixed with melodrama. Both are strong Best Picture Oscar contenders.
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.
