Hollywood
Kitano Takeshi hits out at Japanese cinema at Tokyo filmfest
NEW DELHI: Eminent Japanese filmmaker Kitano Takeshi used the occasion of receiving the ‘Lifetime Achievement Samurai Award’ at the Tokyo International Film Festival to speak about the current state of Japanese film industry.
He was one of the two filmmakers who received the award, the other being American filmmaker Tim Burton known for his dark, gothic, macabre and quirky horror and fantasy films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie, and for blockbusters such as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,Batman, its first sequel Batman Returns, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.
Speaking on the occasion, Kitano said: “The bad thing about the Japanese film industry is that production companies have relationships with cinemas. Look at the Academy Awards. The Japanese representative needs to be recommended by the film industry, and that is the only one that can be nominated… it irritates me, but if you look at all the Japanese representatives at the Academy Awards, I do not think there is hardly any case in which the film selected is not from the same three or four companies. This year, it would be Shochiku, then it would be Toho, and then it would be Toei. It’s ridiculous!”
Kitano went on to criticise Japanese media for turning a blind eye to industry problems and exaggerating the reception of Japanese films at international film festivals in order to sell ads.
In a mentoring session of sorts between Kitano and eight award-winning young filmmakers, he said: “I know you are up-and-coming, so make sure that you do not get entangled with the major studios.”
The second half of the event mostly consisted of curator and critic Tony Rayns and Cannes Film Festival selector Christian Jeune discussing Kitano’s films and their cultural impact. But Kitano offered little but polite responses to the two foreign guests’ praise, and had to be reminded of the moderator’s questions multiple times after Rayns and Jeune made their respective comments.
Although Kitano himself also insisted that his works are left to the audience to interpret it in their own way, he did explain the way he creates his films.
“I do not have any themes in my mind. I start with a final scene. With that final image in mind, I decide how much story I can put in,” Kitano said, “I create a shot list, and I shoot a film in order to realise that. As for the theme, it is up to the critics to decide what that might be.”
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.
