Hollywood
New Woody Allen film ‘Magic in the Moonlight’ trailer released
MUMBAI: Yahoo Movies has released the first look trailer of Woody Allen’s new movie Magic in the Moonlight. The movie comes after Allen’s Academy Award winning Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett. Magic in the Moonlight is set in the 1920s France, rather reminiscent of the Academy Award winning Midnight in Paris.
It stars Colin Firth as Stanley, an Englishman posing as an Asian magician who attempts to debunk fake spiritualists. He travels to the south of France to unmask a supposed medium named Sophie (Emma Stone) as a good-looking fake — but ends up falling for her real-world charms instead.
“I had it on a piece of notepaper in my drawer for ages,” Allen told Entertainment Weekly on the film’s period European setting. “I knew it was a good plot, but I kept seeing it as a contemporary thing and something about that just didn’t smell right to me. Then when it occurred to me it could be set in the south of France in the 1920s, all of a sudden it just felt good.”
Magic in the Moonlight boasts an ensemble cast led by Academy Award winning Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) and Golden Globe Award nominee Emma Stone (Easy A) with Hamish Linklater (The Crazy Ones), Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock), Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award winner Eileen Atkins (Gosford Park).
Imagine Midnight in Paris, with a Match Point and Scoop topping on a You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger cone! True fans of Woody Allen, that reference is for you!
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
