Hollywood
Chris Cornell to perform title song for new Bond film
MUMBAI: Film producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced that Chris Cornell will perform the main title song You Know My Name for the new James Bond adventure Casino Royale.
Cornell is the singer/songwriter behind Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog and has written the song in collaboration with Bond composer David Arnold.
Daniel Craig stars as the new “007” in Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell. The film will be released worldwide by Columbia Pictures on 17 November 2006.
Cornell’s upcoming release with Audioslave marks the 11th album of his career. He has also enjoyed success with the groups Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog, as well as his own critically acclaimed solo album in 1999 Euphoria Morning. In addition, he has collaborated with such groups as Alice in Chains and made contributions to other soundtracks.
Columbia Pictures president, worldwide music Lia Vollack says, “I’ve always loved Chris’ work, both as a writer and as an artist, and had hoped someday to find the right film to inspire him. His music is both soulful and tough. It was the perfect complement to Daniel Craig and Casino Royale.”
Cornell joins such distinguished performers as Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney & Wings, Carly Simon, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Sheena Easton, Duran Duran and Garbage who have performed title songs for previous James Bond adventures.
Cornell will be among the select few who have both written and performed an ‘007’ title song (others include McCartney and Wings, Crow and Madonna).
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.
