Hollywood
Jennifer Hudson to perform at the 87th Oscars
MUMBAI: Oscar and Grammy-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson will be performing on the 87th Oscars.
“We’re creating several musical sequences for the Oscars and we couldn’t be happier that our friend, Jennifer Hudson, will be performing in one of them,” said show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.
Hudson won the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role for the 2006 film Dreamgirls. Her other acting credits include Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2013) and The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013).
Hudson’s self-titled debut album won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and was certified Gold, as was her second album, I Remember Me. This year she was nominated for Best R&B Performance for the song It’s Your World, from her 2014 album, JHUD.
The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will be held on 22 February.
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.
