Hollywood
Brad Pitt & Paramount get the last laugh as ‘World War Z’ cracks $500 mn
MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures reports that World War Z had passed the $500 million worldwide gross mark,
surpassing Troy’s $497.3 million to become Brad Pitt’s highest grossing film ever. One could argue that WWZ
received the benefit of a higher ticket price particularly because of its 3D numbers. But considering how badly
maligned this film was in the weeks before it bowed, hitting the half billion dollar plateau seems something to
brag about, even for a movie that cost in the $220 million range.
According to Paramount (which co-financed with Skydance), WWZ has set several records for Pitt, whose Plan B
produced. It set a personal best with a $66 million opening on 21 June, and a total of $197.4 million in US, both
of which exceeded Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s total domestic gross of $186.3 million and $50.3 million opening
weekend. The film has earned $305.2 million at the international box office, to date.
This pales in comparison to the numbers put up by Johnny Depp and his Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the
Caribbean franchises, but Pitt has done a lot of cool movies that were never meant to be blockbusters, and this
was his most mainstream film since Troy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Passing the half billion dollar mark begs the
question of whether Pitt returns for an encore.
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.
