iWorld
Netflix enters exclusive talks to buy Warner Bros
CALIFORNIA: Netflix has entered exclusive negotiations to buy Warner Bros.’ film and TV studios and the HBO Max streaming service, according to a Bloomberg report. The move suggests the streamer has outpaced Paramount Skydance and Comcast in one of the media industry’s most hard-fought auctions.
Netflix has offered a $5bn break-up fee if regulators block the deal, the report said. A formal agreement could emerge within days, assuming the talks hold. Before any sale closes, Warner Bros. Discovery will proceed with its planned spinoff of cable assets including CNN, TBS and TNT.
A deal would mark a dramatic pivot for Netflix, which has shunned major acquisitions during its rise to become the world’s dominant paid-streaming platform. It would also unite the world’s largest streaming service with one of Hollywood’s oldest studios, bringing HBO, The Sopranos, The White Lotus, the Harry Potter franchise and the Friends library under the Netflix banner.
The bidding process has been fractious. Paramount accused Warner of running a “tainted” auction tilted towards Netflix, while arguing that its own offer faced fewer regulatory obstacles. Comcast also tabled bids.
Warner, valued at more than $60bn, has been hit by a sharp decline in its traditional TV networks, which reported a 23 per cent fall in quarterly revenue as viewers and advertisers continued to drift to streaming.
Netflix, founded nearly three decades ago as a DVD-by-post service, ended 2024 with $39bn in revenue and a market value of about $437bn. Warner Bros., founded in the 1920s, generated a similar $39bn in annual sales.
iWorld
Prime Video to stream Tamil thriller Exam from May 15
Seven-episode series from National Award-winner A. Sarkunam streams in India and 240-plus countries
MUMBAI: Prime Video announced on April 27th that Exam, a taut seven-episode suspense drama set against the crucible of high-stakes competitive testing, will premiere on May 15th in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Written and directed by A. Sarkunam, a National Award-winner, the series is produced under the Wallwatcher Films banner by the creative duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who have previously delivered Suzhal: The Vortex (both seasons) and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie for the platform. Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan lead the cast, with Abbas in a pivotal role.
The show will stream in Tamil with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, and subtitles in 15 languages, including English, a distribution sweep that underscores Prime Video’s push to globalise Indian regional content.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, framed the series as both timely and commercially astute. “Exam is a very timely and relevant story that captures the emotional intensity of competitive exams and masterfully transforms it into a thrilling high-stakes drama,” he said. “We believe it is a story that will resonate deeply with millions.” Madhok noted that it was a privilege to once again collaborate with Pushkar and Gayatri following the success of Suzhal and Vadhandhi.
For Pushkar and Gayatri, the series is as much a moral reckoning as a thriller. “With Exam, we wanted to dig into ambition, injustice, and those moral crossroads that people face when pushed to the edge,” the creative producers said. “At the heart of this story is a young woman who refuses to remain powerless. Her journey is not about glamorising defiance, but about exploring the emotional and ethical cost of standing up to a system stacked against her.” They described Prime Video as “an incredible collaborator” and “the perfect home” to bring the series to global audiences.
Wallwatcher Films, which Pushkar and Gayatri founded and run, has been on a productive streak with the platform. Beyond Exam, the company is also readying Vadhandhi Season 2 for Prime Video, making the duo one of the platform’s most active regional creative partners.
The real exam, it seems, is for Prime Video itself: can a Tamil drama about systemic injustice and a young woman’s defiance crack audiences from Chennai to Chicago? If Pushkar and Gayatri’s track record is anything to go by, the answer is likely yes, and the results will be out on May 15th.
