Hollywood
Katie Holmes to make directorial debut with ‘All We Had’
MUMBAI: Katie Holmes is all set to add the directorial feather to her cap. She is going to make her directorial debut with the upcoming film All We Had, to be adapted from the Annie Weatherwax novel with the same name.
The 35-year-old actress will not only direct the movie – she will also star in the movie along with co-producing it. Holmes will produce the movie with co-founder New York’s Tribeca Film Festival of Jane Rosenthal, actor Robert De Niro, and vice-president of production and development at Tribeca Productions Berry Welsh. The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone will pen the script.
The book which debuted in August is about a mother and daughter living on the edge of poverty, who finds an unlikely home amid the quirky residents of small town America. Holmes will be playing the mother while the actress playing the daughter is still unknown.
“Katie has such a clear vision for the book’s irreverent, original mother-daughter relationship. Her passion for the material, along with Josh Boone’s ability to tell stories grounded in the comedy and drama of every day, will truly bring these characters to life,” said Rosenthal was quoted as saying in a media statement.
Holmes found fame with the 1990s television series Dawson’s Creek, and has recently appeared in the film like Miss Meadows and Days and Nights. The actress married the Mission Impossible series actor Tom Cruise in 2006, the couple divorced in 2012, they have a daughter named Suri.
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.
