Hollywood
Chloe Zhao and ‘Minari’ star Yuh-Jung Youn make history at Oscars 2021
New Delhi: Beijing-born Chloe Zhao made history at the 93rd Academy Awards as the first Asian woman and only the second woman ever to win the Oscar for best director for the film Nomadland.
The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman ever to win the coveted prize eleven years ago.
Korean actor Yuh-Jung Youn, 73, won the best supporting actress winner for immigrant tale Minari, and became the first South Korean actor to win an Oscar. British actor Daniel Kaluuya completed his awards grand slam this year with the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in Judas And The Black Messiah.
In an upset, 83-year-old Anthony Hopkins (The Father) walked away with the best actor trophy, which many believed to be a cinch for the late Chadwick Boseman for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The win makes Hopkins the oldest performer to bag an acting Oscar ever.
The best actress award went to Nomadland star Frances McDormand, who last won an Oscar in 2018 for her stellar turn as a ferocious, heartbroken mother in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Netflix had a big night at the Oscars, bringing home a total of seven trophies, though it failed to pick up an award in the big three categories – best picture and best actor/actress. The streamer had come into Sunday night with 36 nominations, far more than any studio or OTT platform.
Producers of the annual awards gala, including director Steven Soderbergh, had said that the award ceremony this year would be more like a movie than a TV show. And, indeed it was, with limited audience capacity and celebrities not wearing masks. The ceremony was moved to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles amid the Covid2019 restrictions.
Dark comedy Another Round, from Denmark, was awarded best international feature film. India’s official entry this year – Jallikattu – failed to make the final nominations.
The first Oscar of the evening went to Emerald Fennell who won best original screenplay for Promising Young Woman; best adapted screenplay was won by The Father. The White Tiger, starring actress Priyanka Chopra, was nominated in this category.
The movie Soul, the first from Pixar to feature a black lead character, won best animated feature and also the award for best original score. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet won the award for best visual effects.
The winners are chosen in a secret ballot by the 9,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
