Hollywood
‘Breaking Bad’s’ Bryan Cranston and ‘HIMYM’s’ Neil Patrick Harris snag major Tonys’
MUMBAI: The 68th Annual Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, well known as the Tony Awards saw firsts for Bryan Crantson and Neil Patrick Harris and a record-breaking win for Audra McDonald. Broadway’s biggest night honoured A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with Best Musical and All the Way for Best Play. Both productions scored four honours each.
The awards show got off to a hoppin’ start with Hollywood star Hugh Jackman (X-Men: Days of Future Past) on Sunday in New York. The evening’s host entered Radio City Music Hall hopping his way from the city streets, down the aisles and then backstage where he proceeded to meet the cast members from many of today’s biggest Broadway shows.
The first award of the night went to Rylance of Twelfth Night for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play. This marked his third Tony after having previously won for Jerusalem and Boeing-Boeing.
Audra McDonald, known on the small screen for Private Practice, won best lead actress in a play for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, marking her sixth Tony and making her the biggest Tony winner of all time. She now tops five-time Tony winners Angela Lansbury and the late Julie Harris.
All the Way won best play — and its lead star, Bryan Cranston, who previously won the Golden Globe award and the EMMY award for his portrayal of a high school chemistry teacher with terminal lung cancer in Breaking Bad, snagged his first Tony, taking home best lead actor in a play for playing former President Lyndon B. Johnson in his Broadway debut. The former Breaking Bad star beat Samuel Barnett from Twelfth Night, Chris O’Dowd from Of Mice and Men, Mark Rylance of Richard III and Tony Shalhoub with Act One.
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The lead actor in a musical honour went to Harris for his portrayal of a German transsexual in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Harris, well known as the womanizer Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother has won Primetime EMMY Awards, and now he has a Tony to his name. The actor edged out Ramin Karimloo of Les Miserables, Andy Karl from Rocky along with Jefferson Mays and Bryce Pinkham, who both star in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. Lena Hall of Hedwig and the Angry Inch took home the award for best feature performance by an actress in a musical.
Presenters included Hollywood big shots like Kevin Bacon, Matt Bomer, Wayne Brady, Zach Braff, Kenneth Branagh, Patricia Clarkson, Bradley Cooper, Fran Drescher, Clint Eastwood, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Vera Farmiga, Will Ferrell, Tony Goldwyn, Anna Gunn, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Carole King, Zachary Levi, Lucy Liu, Kate Mara, McDonald, Leighton Meester, Alessandro Nivola, Zachary Quinto, Emmy Rossum, Liev Schreiber, Orlando Bloom, Barrett Foa, Jonathan Groff, T.I., Samuel L. Jackson, Judith Light, Rosie O’Donnell and Patrick Wilson.
Hollywood
Paramount seeks FCC nod for foreign-backed $110 billion WBD deal
Gulf funds back merger as foreign stake nears 50 per cent, control stays with Ellison
NEW YORK: Paramount Global has approached the Federal Communications Commission seeking approval for foreign investments tied to its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, marking another key step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
According to regulatory filings made public this week, the investment backing the deal includes major Gulf sovereign funds such as the Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and L’imad Holding Company. Together, foreign investors are expected to hold just under 50 per cent of Paramount’s equity once the transaction is complete.
Despite the sizeable international backing, Paramount has made it clear that voting control will remain with the family of chief executive David Ellison, ensuring the company stays firmly under US control as required by broadcasting rules.
A company spokesperson described the FCC filing as routine for transactions involving foreign capital and stressed that it does not impact the closing of the deal. Under US law, any significant foreign ownership in broadcast licence holders must undergo regulatory review.
The merger itself has already cleared a major hurdle, with Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approving the deal on 23 April. The transaction values the company at $31 per share, a 147 per cent premium to its earlier trading price, reflecting strong strategic intent behind the tie-up.
If completed, the combined entity will bring together a vast portfolio including Warner Bros. film studios, HBO Max, and networks such as CNN, TNT and Discovery Channel. The deal is currently expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
However, scrutiny is intensifying. The US Department of Justice has issued subpoenas seeking details on the merger’s potential impact on cinema competition, streaming services and content licensing. Reviews are also anticipated in international markets, including the United Kingdom.
There is also a financial safety net built into the agreement. If regulators ultimately block the deal, Paramount would face a $7 billion break-up fee. Additionally, the company has taken on $2.8 billion in obligations previously owed by Warner Bros. Discovery to Netflix following an earlier terminated arrangement.
Paramount maintains that easing foreign ownership barriers will unlock fresh capital and strengthen its ability to compete in a rapidly evolving media landscape. For now, the spotlight remains on regulators, whose decision will determine whether this global media consolidation moves from script to screen.
