Hollywood
PPC to produce Hollywood’s ‘Tree of Life’
MUMBAI: After several months of active discussions with producer Donald Rosenfeld and director Terrence Malick, Percept Picture Company (PPC) has been able to close a participation in the Hollywood production titled Tree of Life.
As part of the deal, PPC and Sahara One Motion Pictures will finance the film partly and be associated with it. This would be an extension of Sahara One Motion Pictures into mainstream Hollywood movies. PPC would be the executive producer of the film.
The film features Collin Farrel and two major Hollywood stars in lead roles. Terrence Malick will also script the film and Emmanual Lubezki is the proposed director of photography.
The portion of the film to be shot in India will be done by PPC. The pre-production is slated to commence in January 2006 and expected to release some time in 2008.
Making the announcement, Rosenfeld said, “We are thrilled to be in business with Sahara One Motion Pictures and Percept Picture Company and we look forward to many more great collaborations in the future, both in India and USA.”
The New World, a new interpretation of the Ponchantas/John Smith story, which is scheduled for release in November 2005 is directed by Terrence Mallik, starring Colin Farrel.
PPC’s forthcoming projects includes Hanuman (October 2005 release), Sacred Evil (November 2005 release), Mother Teresa (November 2005 release), Pyaar Mein Twist (September 2005 release), The Truck of Dreams (September 2005 release), Malamaal Weekly (under production), Home Delivery (under production).
Hollywood
UK watchdog CMA to probe Warner Bros-Paramount merger deal
Phase 1 review to assess competition risks as industry voices opposition
LONDON: The Competition and Markets Authority is set to launch a preliminary investigation into the proposed $110 billion merger between Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount, marking the first formal regulatory step in assessing the deal’s impact on competition.
The UK watchdog has initiated a consultation process with industry stakeholders, inviting comments until April 27. This phase, known as a Phase 1 review, will evaluate whether the merger could harm competition across the film and television sectors, both of which play a significant role in the UK economy.
“We expect to launch our phase 1 investigation in the coming weeks,” said Competition and Markets Authority spokesperson, in an emailed statement to Reuters. “The film and TV industries contribute billions to our economy, so it’s important we assess whether deals between studios may harm competition.”
The proposed transaction, which also involves Skydance Media, would bring together two of Hollywood’s largest studios, combining extensive content libraries and potentially reshaping the global entertainment landscape.
Following the initial assessment, the regulator will decide whether to escalate the matter to a more detailed Phase 2 investigation, which typically involves deeper scrutiny of market dynamics and competitive risks.
The deal is already facing growing resistance from within the creative community. More than 1,000 industry professionals, including Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller, have publicly opposed the merger, warning it could reduce opportunities, limit storytelling diversity and place further strain on an industry still adjusting to rapid change.
As regulators begin to weigh the implications, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining test of how far consolidation can go in a media industry already in flux.
