Hollywood
Francis Lai to receive lifetime achievement award
NEW DELHI: Renowned French composer Francis Lai is all set to receive the world Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th World Soundtrack Awards’s focus on France.
The 14th World Soundtrack Awards and Concert will take place on October 25 at Kuipke in Ghent on the concluding day of the 41st Film Fest Gent which will begin on October 14 and will focus on France.
Francis Lai (born in 1932 in Nice) became world famous with A man and a woman (1966) which is his first score for a film by Claude Lelouch, for whom he went on to compose over 30 scores during the next four decades.
The Oscar winning film A man and a Woman launched the career of Lelouch and made Lai a celebrated French film composer with an international career. Thanks to the ‘chabadabada’ tune, the music of A man and a woman topped the music charts. In this film, as well as in the follow-up Live for Life (1967), he introduced the authentic use of both English and French chansons sung by Pierre Barouh and Nicole Croisille, which became an innovative, refreshing and romantic sound in French film music.
In 1970 Lai scored his biggest international hit with the soundtrack of the phenomenal blockbuster Love Story (1970) by Arthur Hiller. He achieved his biggest cult success with the film Bilitis (1977) by softcore sex photographer David Hamilton. Other acclaimed films for which he composed the music are Rider on the Rain by Rene Clement, Anima Persa by Dino Risi, My New Partner by Claude Zidi and Dark Eyes by Nikita Mikhalkov.
During the WSA concert a selection of his work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by Dirk Brossé.
In addition, Jeff Neve’s captivating music for the prestigious Flemish drama series In Flanders Fields will also be receiving some deserved attention that evening. With this score, Jef Neve proved that he is not only a gifted jazz musician but also a very inspiring composer of many talents. He will be performing a selection of the music he wrote, accompanied by footage from the series.
Confirmed central guests and performers at the World Soundtrack Awards are American composer Cliff Martinez (Drive, Only God Forgives, Contagion and Spring Breakers) and 2013 WSA Discovery Award winner Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild).
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
