Hollywood
Horror thriller ‘Vatican Tapes’ to release in India on 31 July
MUMBAI: Horror-thriller flick, The Vatican Tapes is all set to hit theaters across India on 31 July, 2015. The film is being released in India by Multivision Multimedia. The movie features Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond fame), Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible 2 and American Hustle) and Michael Pena (Fury, American Hustle). Kathleen Robertson, established television actress in the US will be seen as the leading lady in Vatican Tapes.
The Vatican Tapes is about the ultimate battle between good and evil- God versus Satan. When a priest (Michael Pe?a) is called upon to exorcize a powerful satanic force he meets with an evil much more powerful than ever imagined. He enters a battle not only for a woman’s soul, but also the fate of the world. The film is an edge of the seat thriller that promises chill down the spine.
Hollywood horror films have left an imprint on the Indian box office for a very long time. The genre has matured and evolved over time. This year, two of the biggest horror films from Hollywood that made it to Indian screens were Insidious: Chapter 3, currently running to full houses and Poltergeist that grossed over $2 million in the first three days of release in India.
Some other films such as Conjuring and Anabella have also fared extremely well in India, keeping up to its international success. Alongside action and franchise driven cinema, horror is the third strongest contender from Hollywood in India.
Multivision Multimedia distribution head Sunil Udhani said, “Horror has always been a favourite among Indian audiences. While the trend is on the upswing here in Bollywood, the market for movies like Vatican Tapes is ever expanding. We have already seen a couple of success stories from the genre with this year. Horror is a unique genre in Hollywood that is not star dependent on stars; on top of that Vatican Tapes boasts of an illustrious star cast such as Djimon Hounsou and Dougray Scott. We are sure The Vatican Tapes will continue in the tradition of box office success.”
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
