Hollywood
Al Pacino honoured with BFI fellowship
MUMBAI: The Godfather star Al Pacino was honoured with the British Film Institute (BFI) Fellowship for his extraordinary achievement in films. The prestigious award was given to him by BFI chairman Greg Dyke and CEO Amanda Nevill.
The 74-year-old actor-director follows British industry legends including Sir Michael Caine and the late Richard Attenborough in being awarded BFI Fellowship, its highest accolade for outstanding contribution to film.
Pacino received the honour in front of a star-studded audience including Richard E Grant, Terry Gilliam and John Hurt at the Corinthia Hotel in London.
Pacino’s illustrious career includes the Godfather trilogy, Scarface and Dog Day Afternoon, while his latest appearances came in movies Manglehorn and The Humbling, which debuted last month in Venice. He also won an Oscar for best actor in 1993 for Scent Of A Woman.
He had also had success behind the camera with 1996’s Looking For Richard and Salome in 2013 among others.
Since its inception in 1983 the BFI Fellowship has been handed to 78 recipients, also including stars such as Dirk Bogarde, Alec Guinness, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier.
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.
