Hollywood
CineAsia to honour Akella; feature Shyamalan’s ‘Split’
MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association Asia-Pacific Copyright Educator Award will be bestowed on comScore India managing director, theatrical, Rajkumar Akella, at CineAsia in Hong Kong. comScore which is an American media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to many of the world’s largest enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers.
The annual CineAsia convention will be held 6-8 December at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, wherein awards will be given away to the deserving. CineAsia is the platform for the those seeking to learn the ins and outs of owning and operating cinemas in the booming Asia-Pacific region.
Major studio representatives will be in Hong Kong with presentations of their 2017 product: Sony Pictures International, Paramount Pictures International, Twentieth Century Fox International, Universal Pictures International, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International and Warner Bros. Pictures International, along with EuropaCorp. The lineup of feature screenings includes Fox’s NASA drama Hidden Figures, Disney’s South Seas animated adventure Moana, Warner Bros.’ Will Smith starrer Collateral Beauty, and Universal’s animated musical Sing and M. Night Shyamalan chiller Split.
Seminars at CineAsia will cover a wide range of trending topics, including “Maximizing Business Performance Through Investments in Next-Generation Cinema Technology,” “Attracting Millennials and Reinventing Cinema,” “Driving Global Conversion to Laser Technology” and “Online Ticketing.” The National Association of Concessionaires and the International Cinema Technology Association, meanwhile, coordinated programming for “CineAsia University” on the tradeshow floor.
NAC sessions will focus on topics such as putting the customer first, inventory issues, promotional tie-ins, and Coca-Cola’s suggestion on “refreshing the movies.” The ICTA’s Thursday lineup, meanwhile, covers in-theatre gaming and ticketing with the cloud.
At Sony’s presentation, veteran Sony executive Noriaki “Dick” Sano will accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from CineAsia. This year’s awardees are — Mei Lee Koh, CEO of Golden Screen Cinemas, as “Exhibitor of the Year”; Walt Disney International as “Distributor of the Year,” with the prize accepted by David Kornblum, VP, international sales and marketing, APAC/Russia, and international film acquisitions; and CineAsia official sponsor GDC Technology as “Technology Innovator of the Year,” to be accepted by chairman and CEO Dr. Man-Nang Chong. The DLP Cinema® Marketing Achievement Award goes to Taiwan circuit VieShow Cinemas and its chairman, Dennis Wu.
The show will finally honor groundbreaking Titanic and Avatar producer Jon Landau with the “CineAsia Visionary Award.”
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.
