Hollywood
Alfonso Cuaron honoured at the 66th Annual Directors Guild of America
MUMBAI: Hosted by Jane Lynch, the 66th Annual Director’s Guild of America Awards held at the Hyatt Regency center Plaza, Los Angeles on 25 January was a grand affair honoring the behind-the-scenes folks that shape our viewing experience.
Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winning director, Alfonso Cuaron (Pan’s Labyrinth, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) snagged up his first Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film award for the Sandra Bullock and George Clooney starrer space epic, Gravity.
Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich, Magic Mike) took home not one, but two DGA awards as his debut win. One for Outstanding Directorial achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series in the Golden Globe winning HBO Original Movie, Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. Soderbergh was also awarded the Robert B. Aldrich Service Award in recognition of extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.
In the Television category, Vince Gilligan won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Dramatic Series for Breaking Bad, while Beth McCarthy-Miller won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for 30 Rock.
Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (Casanova, The Hoax) won the DGA Diversity Award in recognition of commitment to diversity hiring and providing jobs and opportunities to women and minorities in DGA-covered categories.
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.
