Hollywood
Fox pushes Independence Day 2 to 2016
MUMBAI: The world will have to wait another year for its Independence Day 2. Fox has announced that it is moving the long pending sequel from 3 July 2015 – a date it had announced in June – to 1 July 2016.
That means the Roland Emmerich-helmed pic will arrive exactly 20 years and one day after the blockbuster original, which made a movie star of Will Smith. The sequel will go up against another bombing-themed movie Sony’s Angry Birds.
Hollywood
Paramount raises bid for Warner Bros Discovery
Higher offer challenges Netflix’s $82.7bn deal; Paramount targets full company at improved terms on 24 February 2026.
MUMBAI: Hollywood’s blockbuster bidding war just got a sequel because when studios are the prize, even the richest players keep upping the ante. Paramount Skydance has submitted a sweetened bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on 24 February 2026, intensifying efforts to derail Netflix’s proposed acquisition of the HBO Max owner. The new offer improves on Paramount’s earlier $108.4 billion ($30 per share) proposal for the entire company, addressing Warner Bros’ concerns over financing certainty.
Netflix’s cash offer of $27.75 per share ($82.7 billion) for the studios and streaming assets allows it to match any superior bid. Warner Bros had rejected Paramount’s previous enhanced proposal, which included covering Netflix’s $2.8 billion termination fee and a 25-cent quarterly “ticking fee” from next year to compensate shareholders for delays. The board gave Paramount until 23 February to submit its “best and final” offer.
MoffettNathanson analysts earlier suggested a Paramount bid around $34 per share could end the contest by settling debates over Discovery Global’s value. Warner Bros plans to spin off cable assets (CNN, HGTV) into Discovery Global, estimated at $1.33 to $6.86 per share, arguing the move gives the remaining company greater flexibility. Netflix claims its offer provides shareholders upside from the spinoff; Paramount has dismissed the cable business as “effectively worthless”.
The saga escalated after activist investor Ancora Capital built a roughly $200 million stake in Warner Bros, accusing the board of failing to engage properly with Paramount and threatening to vote against the Netflix deal at the 20 March shareholder meeting.
Paramount shares rose 1.3 per cent to $10.70 in extended trading. The outcome now hinges on Warner Bros shareholders, antitrust scrutiny in the US, EU, and UK, and bipartisan lawmaker concerns over market dominance. A Paramount win would create a studio larger than Disney and merge two major TV operators, Netflix’s victory would forge the biggest global streamer with nearly half a billion subscribers.
With Ted Sarandos confident in regulatory approval and Paramount claiming a clearer path, this clash isn’t just about price, it’s about who gets to write Hollywood’s next chapter in the streaming era. The popcorn’s ready; the credits haven’t rolled yet.
