Hollywood
Carly Ray Jepsen steps in Cinderellas shoes
The pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen, who rose to fame in 2012 with her pop single “Call Me Maybe,” will go from the concert stage to the theatre stage early next year when Jepsen will also make her Broadway debut in the title role of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Jepsen will step into the glass slippers from 4 Feb onwards for a 12-week run. She will be joining Fran Drescher, who is also making her debut on the same date and has been cast as the cruel stepmother. Jepsen is replacing Laura Osnes, who will complete her yearlong run in January.
Rae Jepsen, 28, grew up with dreams of acting on Broadway and performed in high school productions like Annie, Grease and The Wiz in British Columbia before turning her focus to creating her own music. She also attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts after high school.
Jepsen is also working on a new album planned for release next year. Call Me Maybe sold over 10 million copies in 2012, when it was the best-selling digital single worldwide.
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.
