Hollywood
Scarlett Johansson coming soon on small screen
MUMBAI: Scarlett Johansson is all set to star in a new period drama for her first major TV role. According to media reports, The Lucy actress will play the lead in a limited series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winner Edith Wharton’s classic 1913 novel The Custom of the Country.
She has starred briefly in TV before, with stop-motion animated series Robot Chicken in 2005.
The 29-year-old actress will be seen as a midwestern girl, Undine Spragg, who makes it her goal to reach the heights of New York high society by any means necessary in the early part of the 20th century in the series.
According to the media reports, Johansson will also be the executive producer of the eight-episode period story.
Besides Johansson, there is another big name attached to the project as Oscar-winning British playwright-screenwriter Christopher Hampton is on board to write the screenplay of the limited series.
Johansson will next be seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, before starring in spin-off movie Black Widow and Disney’s live-action CGI remake of The Jungle Book.
Meanwhile, Johansson has been busy juggling work and motherhood after the star gave birth to her first baby with fiancé Romain Dauriac on 4 Sept.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
