Hollywood
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ seduces box office with $239.7 million
MUMBAI: Universal Pictures’ erotica movie Fifty Shades of Grey has seduced the global box office with stupendous collections of $ 239.7 million in its opening weekend.
According to Rentrak’s box office estimates for the weekend of 15 February, 2015, the movie collected a whopping $81.7 million at the box office in North America.
Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, “Universal’s erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey felt the love from audiences as it earned a whopping $239.7 million around the globe this weekend. Generating an impressive $158 million in 58 international territories (and $81.7 million in North America), this is Universal’s second biggest international opening weekend ever behind Fast & Furious 6 at $160.3 million. Also impressive is the super cool Kingsman: The Secret Service from Fox that in its second weekend internationally took no prisoners with $23.1 million in 38 territories. This combined with the $35.6 million it earned in its North American debut gives Kingsman $58.7 million for the weekend and a worldwide total to date of nearly $80 million.”
The top 12 worldwide weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, 15 February, 2015, are below:
1. Fifty Shades Of Grey – $239.7 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – $58.7 million
3. Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out Of Water – $44 million
4. Somewhere Only We Know – $30 million
5. Jupiter Ascending – $25 million
6. American Sniper – $20.1 million
7. Big Hero 6 – $9.9 million
8. Taken 3 – $8.3 million
9. The Imitation Game – $7.5 million
10. Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb – $7.1 million
11. Detective K: The Laborer’s Daughter – $6.2 million
12. Paddington – $5.1 million
The top 12 North American weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, 15 February, 2015, are below:
1. Fifty Shades Of Grey – $81.7 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – $35.6 million
3. Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out Of Water – $30.5 million
4. American Sniper – $16.4 million
5. Jupiter Ascending – $9.4 million
6. Seventh Son – $4.2 million
7. Paddington – $4.1 million
8. The Imitation Game – $3.5 million
9. The Wedding Ringer – $3.4 million
10. Project Almanac – $2.7 million
11. Black Or White – $2.6 million
12. The Boy Next Door – $1.8 million
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.
