Hollywood
Marvel’s upcoming Batman v/s Superman pushed to 2016
MUMBAI: Warner Bros announced on Friday, 17 January that the release of the upcoming sequel to the 2013 blockbuster superhero film, Man of Steel, will now be postponed to 7 May, 2016, nine months later than its previous 17 July, 2015 release date.
As a result of this push to the release date, there’s a potential Warner Bros/DC showdown with rival Disney/Marvel. The movie will now see light of day on Mother’s Day weekend and will face off with Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, which comes only a week after. As it stands now, it will be Superman-Batman, X-Men the following weekend, and hot on their tail – The Amazing Spider-Man 3 from Sony.
The Batman v/s Superman film is the high-profile follow-up to last summer’s Man of Steel, which grossed $668 million worldwide and rebooted the Superman franchise for Warner Bros.
The follow-up movie, which also will feature The Caped Crusader, is in casting mode and has lined up Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman and Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious franchise) as Wonder Woman in addition to Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), who is reprising his role as Superman. Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) is in negotiations for a role as well.
Zack Snyder – 300 fame – is directing the movie, which is now undergoing a rewrite by – the Oscar-winning scribe who penned Argo – Chris Terrio. David Goyer (co-writer of Man of Steel and creator of Da Vinci’s Demons) wrote the initial draft.
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.
