Hollywood
Amy Adams breaks down while remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman
MUMBAI: Hollywood actress Amy Adams, in the weeks leading into the Oscars, filmed an interview for Inside the Actors Studio, an American television program hosted by James Lipton. In between discussing her career and her Oscar-nominated role in American Hustle, Adams broke down when host James Lipton asked her about her recently deceased co-star Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman died at the age of 46 from an apparent heroin overdose on 2 February. Adams and Meryl Streep were among many celebrities who attended his private funeral in New York City on 6 February.
The 39-year old Adams worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman on two of her most acclaimed movies: Doubt, in 2008, and The Master in 2012. “I wish you all could get a chance to work with him,” she told the assembled students. “He was beautiful. He’s a beautiful spirit and he had this unique ability to see people; to really see them. Not look through them. He just really saw people”, she explained tearfully to the students in the audience. “I just really loved him, and I know so many people did,” Adams added through sobs, “I just don’t know how much more I can talk about it right now, sorry.”
The actor then apologised and said she wouldn’t be able to go on talking about him.
After making her mark in the industry with memorable appearances in films such as Junebug, Enchanted, Doubt, and The Fighter, Amy Adams discusses her multifaceted career leading up to her standout performance in Columbia Pictures’ American Hustle. Her lead role as a con-artist in the Academy Award nominated film earned Adam’s her first Golden Globe win and fifth Academy Award Nomination. Adams has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and six Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Hollywood
Warner Bros board reopens talks after Paramount raises bid to $31 a share
Netflix has four days to revise $27.75-a-share proposal
NEW YORK: The board of Warner Bros Discovery has reopened talks with Paramount Skydance after the rival bidder raised its cash offer to $31 a share, intensifying a takeover contest for one of Hollywood’s most prized studios, Reuters reported.
Paramount’s revised proposal has pulled Warner Bros’ directors back to the negotiating table, even as Netflix risks losing its status as the preferred suitor. The board said it had not yet concluded whether Paramount’s offer was superior to the Netflix deal, but confirmed it would engage further with both sides. Should a higher bid emerge, Netflix has four business days to respond.
In a bid to strengthen its hand, Paramount increased the termination fee payable if regulators block the deal to $7 billion, up from $5.8 billion. It also agreed to pay Warner shareholders 25 cents a share per quarter for every quarter beyond 30 September that the transaction fails to close. Paramount further offered to inject additional equity should lenders raise concerns about financing at completion.
Paramount’s $31-a-share bid is an all-cash offer for the entire company. Netflix, by contrast, has proposed $27.75 a share in cash, valuing the deal at $82.7 billion including net debt, for Warner’s film and television studios, content library and the HBO Max streaming platform.
The comparison is muddied by structure. Warner plans to spin off its television networks into a separately listed company, Discovery Global. The ultimate value of Netflix’s offer therefore depends on the spun-off unit’s debt load and market valuation. The board estimates Discovery Global could trade between $1.33 and $6.86 a share, potentially lifting overall shareholder returns above Paramount’s earlier $30-a-share proposal.
Either outcome would reshape Hollywood’s balance of power, handing the winner a deep content vault and enduring franchises including Game of Thrones and DC Comics. Netflix has ample cash to raise its offer, while Paramount argues it faces fewer regulatory hurdles in the United States. It has also signalled readiness to mount a board challenge at Warner’s annual meeting if its proposal is rejected.
That pressure is building. One potential director nominee floated by Paramount is Pentwater Capital Management chief executive Matthew Halbower, one of Warner’s largest shareholders. Separately, activist investor Ancora Holdingshas accused the board of insufficient engagement with Paramount.
Warner is due to report quarterly results this week, which may shed more light on the value of its cable television assets. Paramount reports earnings on Wednesday. A shareholder vote on the Netflix deal is scheduled for 20 March.
