English Entertainment
Barbie reaffirms ‘You can be anything’ with MasterChef on Star World
MUMBAI: Barbie’s message of You Can Be Anything is going to spread far and wide, reaching out to moms and kids, with Barbie’s latest association as the presenting sponsor for popular TV series – MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 that will air every Sunday at 9pm on Star World and Star World HD.
Mattel India head of marketing Lokesh Kataria said, “Over the last year, Barbie has enabled young girls to unleash their imagination and unlock their aspirations to believe that they can be anything – from a doctor to a storyteller, a princess, a sportsperson or even a chef. We believe that our partnership with MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 is an extension of this effort and philosophy. At Mattel, we believe that play is an important aspect of a child’s life, not only helping them build skillsets but also inspiring imagination and creation. We will continue our efforts in India to engage with consumers to bring alive the power of play.”
The integrated campaign will drive communication based on the concept of ‘Dads who play with Barbie’, showcasing what happens when real dads play Barbie with their daughters. The communication, which will air during MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 on Star World and Star World HD, will promote play as well highlight that “Time Spent in Her Imaginary World Is an Investment in Her Real World,” emphasizing that a dad’s involvement in his daughter’s imaginary play contributes to her social, intellectual and emotional development in real life.
Under the guidance of world renowned chefs and judges, Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi, MasterChef U.S. Junior season 5 selects young kids between ages of 8 to 13 and aims at honing their culinary aptitude. The contestants will have a platform to showcase their talent and create stunning dishes far beyond their age to win the coveted title of Junior MasterChef and the grand prize of $100,000.
In Season 5, the kids will face exciting challenges, including one from former First Lady Michelle Obama; a first-ever vegan challenge from guest judge Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory); and cooking for other VIPs including Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen and The Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Swedish Chef.
The ‘You Can Be Anything’ campaign has been launched in line with Mattel’s vision to bring parents and children together on the thought that play comes with learning and purpose.
English Entertainment
Ellison takes his Paramount-Warner Bros case straight to theater owners
The Skydance chief goes to CinemaCon with promises and a skeptical crowd waiting
CALIFORNIA: David Ellison strode into a room packed with thousands of cinema owners and executives at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday and did something rather bold: he looked them in the eye and asked them to trust him.
The chief executive of Paramount Skydance vowed that his company would release a minimum of 30 films a year if regulators greenlight its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that has made theater owners deeply, and loudly, nervous.
“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word,” Ellison told the crowd. “Once we combine with Warner Bros, we are going to make a minimum of 30 films annually across both studios.”
It was a confident pitch. Whether it landed is another matter. Cinema operators have already called on regulators to block the deal, and scepticism in the room was hardly concealed.
Ellison pushed back by pointing to recent form. Paramount, born from the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media last August, plans to release 15 films this year, nearly double the eight it put out in 2025. Progress, he argued, was already underway.
He also threw theater owners a bone they have long been chasing: all films, he pledged, would run exclusively in cinemas for a minimum of 45 days, drawing applause from a crowd that has spent years fighting for exactly that commitment across the industry.
“People can speculate all they want,” Ellison said, “but I am standing here today telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment. And we’ll show you we mean it.”
Fine words. The regulators, however, will have the last one.
