Hollywood
Highly-rated at Sundance, musical comedy ‘Frank’ released in the US
NEW DELHI: Lenny Abrahamson’s film ‘Frank’, which got rave reviews at the premiere at Sundance, was released in the United States this week.
The film is about a man named Jon (Domhall Gleeson) who joins the eccentric band ‘Soronprfbs’ led by Frank (Michael Fassbender).
Talking about the movie, Abrahamson said, “I think there are many hooks to the film. The first one is that it is a film with Michael Fassbender wearing a fake head, which is something that is worth talking about and it has been an endless fascination for journalists.”
“The music is another thing that people hold onto,” Abrahamson continued. “The film has also got loads to say about social media, and that is another thing people are really interested in at the moment.”
“’Frank’ is a film which is full of music and is about music. There is an inventive band in the film, so when you invent the band you have to invent their sound and their music, and it so rarely works in films when there is a fictional performer or a fictional musician or band, because they usually sound like they are just doing knock-off songs,” Abrahamson added.
The feature is an Element Pictures/Runaway Fridge production for Film4, BFI, Protagonist Pictures and the Irish Film Board. It stars Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Abrahamson previously helmed ‘Adam & Paul’, ‘Garage’ and ‘What Richard Did’, all IFTA winners.
Besides the US market, the comedy has also sold to Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Italy, Scandinavia, Benelux, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Middle East and Singapore.
The screenplay for ‘Frank’ was written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan, with music by Stephen Rennicks. The film was produced by Ed Guiney, David Barron and Stevie Lee, with executive producers Tessa Ross, Katherine Butler, Andrew Lowe and Nigel Williams. Film4, the BFI and the Irish Film Board provided funds.
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.
