Hollywood
Cast of new Fantastic Four film reboot announced
MUMBAI: According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), 20th Century Fox is close to signing off deals with four actors’ viz., Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell for its new film based on Marvel’s Fantastic Four (FF) comics created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.
Playing the roles will be Kate Mara (House of Cards) as Sue Storm, also known as the Invisible Woman, Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) will take on the role of Ben Grimm, also known The Thing; while Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now) will be Reid Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic and finally rounding out the fourth member is Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) as Johnny Storm, also known as The Human Torch making him the first African-American to take on that role.
The contemporary update is based on the comic book “The Ultimate Fantastic Four,” and will completely focus on the characters as young men and women. Josh Trank (Chronicle) will helm the pic with Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes), Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) and Gregory Goodman (X-Men: First Class) serving as producers.
Now that the Fantastic Four have been shortlisted, you can expect to hear more about who they will be battling against over the next few months. More information on the film will be released as the project moves further along into production. The film is scheduled to premiere in US theatres on 19 June, 2015.
Hollywood
Paramount Skydance secures financing for Warner Bros Discovery deal
Debt syndication and new loans push $111 billion merger closer to close
WASHINGTON: Paramount Skydance has taken a major step towards its planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, securing fresh financing and completing the syndication of its bridge loan facility.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed that the bridge facility has now been distributed among a group of 18 banks, reducing total commitments to $49 billion from an earlier $54 billion. The move spreads risk across lenders and signals growing confidence in one of the year’s largest media deals.
Alongside this, the company has finalised permanent financing arrangements, including $5 billion in senior term loans and a $5 billion revolving credit facility. A previously planned $3.5 billion credit line has been dropped as part of the restructuring.
The loans are secured against key assets, including Paramount Global, Skydance Media and Warner Bros post-merger, underlining the scale and complexity of the transaction.
The financing push follows a competitive bidding process earlier this year, which saw interest from players such as Netflix before Paramount Skydance emerged as the frontrunner. The deal, valued at $111 billion, is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Adding to the momentum, the company has also secured significant equity backing, including investments from Middle Eastern funds, with support from billionaire Larry Ellison, who has guaranteed the equity portion of the transaction.
Commenting on the development, Paramount Skydance chief strategy officer Andy Gordon said, “Our successful debt syndication and new debt facilities represent another important milestone towards the completion of our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.”
Once completed, the combined entity is expected to carry net debt of just under $80 billion, reflecting the sheer scale of the merger.
As Hollywood continues to consolidate in the streaming era, this deal could reshape the competitive landscape, with Paramount Skydance betting big on scale, content and financial muscle to take on global rivals.
