Hollywood
Apple Original Films announces ‘The Gorge’ with Anya Taylor-Joy & Miles Teller
Mumbai: Apple Original Films has announced Skydance’s new feature film, The Gorge, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller.
This is a high-action, genre-bending love story directed by Scott Derrickson and based on a spec script by Zach Dean. In addition to starring, Teller will serve as an executive producer on the film. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing alongside Crooked Highway’s Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Sherryl Clark, as well as Zach Dean, Adam Kohlbrenner, and Greg Goodman.
The Gorge hails from a first-look partnership with Apple and Skydance Media and will join feature films including The Greatest Beer Run Ever, from director Peter Farrelly, that stars Zac Efron, now streaming on Apple TV+; Ghosted, a high-concept romantic action adventure film starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, and directed by Dexter Fletcher; and The Family Plan. This is an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg.
The film marks the latest collaboration for Skydance and Miles Teller, following his leading role in Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance and screenwriter Zach Dean also recently collaborated on The Tomorrow War.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
