Hollywood
American Film Market to screen 402 films from 51 countries
NEW DELHI: A total of 402 films, including 321 Market Premieres and 75 World Premieres, from 51 countries are being screened as part of the ongoing 2013 American Film Market.
“Films in 30 languages will be screened for more than 8,000 buyers and industry professionals from more than 70 countries,” said AFM MD and executive VP Jonathan Wolf of the Independent Film & Television Alliance.
The market commenced yesterday and will conclude on 13 November.
Films premiering include the works of Zach Braff, Abigail Breslin, Pierce Brosnan, James Caan, Nicolas Cage, Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Judi Dench, Gerard Depardieu, Richard Dreyfuss, Jesse Eisenberg, Chiwetal Ejoifor, Idris Elba, Dakota Fanning, Jenna Fischer, James Franco, Bill Hader, Josh Hartnett, Val Kilmer, Ben Kingsley, Mila Kunis, Cory Monteith, Thandie Newton, Haley Joel Osment, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Roberts, Peter Sarsgaard, Amy Smart, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Kanye West, Jay Z and many more.
Films making their market premiere include: Kiss Me (American Cinema International) starring Jenna Fischer, Emily Osment, Missi Pyle and John Corbett;Around the Block (Arclight Films) starring Christina Ricci, Hunter Page-Lochard and Mark Coles Smith; Le Grand Cahier (Beta Cinema) starring Laszlo Gyemant, Andras Gyemant, Piroska Molnar, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrich Matthes and Sabin
ambrea; McCanick (Bleiberg Entertainment) starring David Morse, Cory Monteith, Mike Vogel, Ciaran Hinds, Tracie Thoms and Rachel Nichols; Cas and Dylan (Breakthrough Entertainment Inc.) directed by Jason Priestley, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Tatiana Maslany; The F Word (Entertainment One) starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver and Rafe Spall; World Petank Tour(Europa Corp) starring Gerard Depardieu, Atmen Kelif, Edouard Baer, Daniel Prevost, Virginie Efira and Roschdy Zem; The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet(Gaumont) starring Helena Bonham Carter, Kyle Catlett, Callum Keith Rennie and Judy Davis; Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (Huayi Brothers) starring Mark Zhao, Angelababy Yang and Carina Lau; The Sea (Independent) starring Ciaran Hinds, Charlotte Rampling and Rufus Sewell; Some Velvet Morning (International Film Trust) starring Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve; Walking with the Enemy (Koan Inc.) starring Ben Kingsley and Jonas Armstrong; Half of a Yellow Sun (Metro International Entertainment) starring Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejoifor; The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him & Her (Myriad) starring Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, James McAvoy, William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert, Ciaran Hinds and Bill Hader; Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Pathe International) starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris; God Only Knows(Synchronicity Entertainment) starring Ben Barnes, Toby Jones, Leighton Meester and Harvey Keitel.
Additional market premieres include Palo Alto (Pathe International) starring Emma Roberts, James Franco and Val Kilmer; Philomena (Pathe International) starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan; Love Punch (SND M6 Group) starring Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson; Tar (Spotlight Pictures) starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff, Henry Hopper and Bruce Campbell; Before the Winter Chill (TF1 International) starring Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leila Bekhti and Richard Berry; C.O.G. (The Exchange Inc.) starring Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare and Corey Stoll; Made in America (The Exchange Inc.) directed by Ron Howard, starring Jay Z and Kanye West; Night Moves (The Match Factory) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard; Two Night Stand (The Solution Entertainment Group) starring Miles Teller, Analeigh Lipton and Jessica Szohr; and Joe (West End Films) starring Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan.
The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet(Gaumont) starring Helena Bonham Carter, Kyle Catlett, Callum Keith Rennie and Judy Davis; Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (Huayi Brothers) starring Mark Zhao, Angelababy Yang and Carina Lau; The Sea (Independent) starring Ciaran Hinds, Charlotte Rampling and Rufus Sewell; Some Velvet Morning (International Film Trust) starring Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve; Walking with the Enemy (Koan Inc.) starring Ben Kingsley and Jonas Armstrong; Half of a Yellow Sun (Metro International Entertainment) starring Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejoifor; The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him & Her (Myriad) starring Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, James McAvoy, William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert, Ciaran Hinds and Bill Hader; Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Pathe International) starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris; God Only Knows(Synchronicity Entertainment) starring Ben Barnes, Toby Jones, Leighton Meester and Harvey Keitel.
Additional market premieres include Palo Alto (Pathe International) starring Emma Roberts, James Franco and Val Kilmer; Philomena (Pathe International) starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan; Love Punch (SND M6 Group) starring Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson; Tar (Spotlight Pictures) starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff, Henry Hopper and Bruce Campbell; Before the Winter Chill (TF1 International) starring Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leila Bekhti and Richard Berry; C.O.G. (The Exchange Inc.) starring Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare and Corey Stoll; Made in America (The Exchange Inc.) directed by Ron Howard, starring Jay Z and Kanye West; Night Moves (The Match Factory) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard; Two Night Stand (The Solution Entertainment Group) starring Miles Teller, Analeigh Lipton and Jessica Szohr; and Joe (West End Films) starring Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan.
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.
