Hollywood
Anna Torv and Jennifer Jason Leigh to be a part of HBO’s ‘Open’
MUMBAI: The sexuality drama series Open is being produced by Ryan Murphy. Anna Torv has had a successful stint with Fringe on Fox for five years. Jennifer Jason Leigh will be the on-screen love interest of Torv. The series will explore sexuality in the light of monogamy and intimacy in relationships.
The series starts off with Torv and Leigh in a relationship but the entrance of Grace in Torv’s on screen character’s life, issues crop up between the two. The actor who will play the role of Grace is still under process.
Scott Speedman will be Grace’s gynaecologist husband. Glee’s Dante Di Loreto will be the executive producer for Ryan Murphy Television and 20th Television’s cable arm Fox 21.
Forv is repped by WME and United Management in Australia while Leigh is repped by CAA, Untitled and Sloane Offer. Open would be Murphy’s second project with HBO.
Hollywood
UK watchdog CMA to probe Warner Bros-Paramount merger deal
Phase 1 review to assess competition risks as industry voices opposition
LONDON: The Competition and Markets Authority is set to launch a preliminary investigation into the proposed $110 billion merger between Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount, marking the first formal regulatory step in assessing the deal’s impact on competition.
The UK watchdog has initiated a consultation process with industry stakeholders, inviting comments until April 27. This phase, known as a Phase 1 review, will evaluate whether the merger could harm competition across the film and television sectors, both of which play a significant role in the UK economy.
“We expect to launch our phase 1 investigation in the coming weeks,” said Competition and Markets Authority spokesperson, in an emailed statement to Reuters. “The film and TV industries contribute billions to our economy, so it’s important we assess whether deals between studios may harm competition.”
The proposed transaction, which also involves Skydance Media, would bring together two of Hollywood’s largest studios, combining extensive content libraries and potentially reshaping the global entertainment landscape.
Following the initial assessment, the regulator will decide whether to escalate the matter to a more detailed Phase 2 investigation, which typically involves deeper scrutiny of market dynamics and competitive risks.
The deal is already facing growing resistance from within the creative community. More than 1,000 industry professionals, including Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller, have publicly opposed the merger, warning it could reduce opportunities, limit storytelling diversity and place further strain on an industry still adjusting to rapid change.
As regulators begin to weigh the implications, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining test of how far consolidation can go in a media industry already in flux.
