Hollywood
Cannes Film Festival stumbles over ‘Flatgate’ controversy
NEW DELHI: A day after actress Salma Hayek appeared on a panel at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival to talk about misogyny in Hollywood, the festival’s organizers banned women from wearing anything other than high heels on the red carpet.
A group of women, who arrived at a screening for Cate Blanchett’s latest film, Carol, were reportedly turned away because of their flat shoes, according to Screen Daily.
The New York Magazine in a tweet said this immediately set off a #showmeyourflats hashtag in solidarity.
It noted that actress Emily Blunt put it best, “Everyone should wear flats to be honest. We should not be wearing high heels anyways. That is my point of view. I just prefer wearing Converse sneakers.”
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had also stressed on gender equality with Hayek at the discussion organized by UN Women. Aishwarya also did a shoot for L’Oréal Paris with Eva Longoria, Natasha Poly and Li Bingbing for L’Oreal.
The Cannes film festival began on 13 May and will conclude on 24 May.
Indian contingent at Cannes
Meanwhile, the red carpet for Gurvinder Singh’s Punjabi film Chauthi Koot and Neeraj Ghaywan’s debut feature Masaan, which are the Indian films in the official UnCertain Regard, was graced by Indian ambassadors of L’Oreal Paris — Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. Nandita Das was also present.
Film and theater veteran Shabana Azmi noted on how fashion was taking away the attention from cinema at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival. She said a film festival should be treated seriously and not as a fashion parade ground.
Azmi used her Twitter handle on 15 May to remind her fans and followers about the main motive behind holding a film festival. “2day Cannes seems to b a clothes parade! It’s a serious film festival guys not a fashion event. Hw abt focusing on films n filmakers (sic),”
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
