Hollywood
Six interesting facts about Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s Barbie
Mumbai: Many of us have played with Barbie dolls as kids, and many of us have dreamed of living the vibrant and cheerful life of Barbie as kids. This iconic toy has been a childhood friend of almost every young girl worldwide. What if we say that Barbie and her world are no longer just a fantasy? Well, it isn’t, as the critically acclaimed director Greta Gerwig has poured life into it! Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Micheal Cara and many other acclaimed actors of Hollywood, the upcoming live-action film Barbie has been taking over the internet. This film goes beyond just a fantasy as Barbie and her friends also get a hilarious dose of reality. The anticipation is about to end as this highly awaited movie is set to hit the screens this Friday, 21 July 2023, and can be watched at your nearest PVR INOX cinemas. While you eagerly await Barbie’s on-screen arrival, you should check out these six fascinating facts about this movie that will increase your excitement.
1. Did you know Barbie is actually a nickname?
Yes, that’s right! Known globally as Barbie, this iconic doll’s name is actually Barbara Millicent Roberts. Barbie is also the first doll to have womanly features, an idea of Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler. She supposedly created this then-unique adult-bodied Barbie doll after watching her daughter give adult roles to her paper doll. Even though the board members weren’t too thrilled about it, this genius idea made Barbie a global icon.
2. It’s a funny story about how Ryan Gosling came to play Ken.
Let’s just say Ryan and Ken are best friends now, with Ryan lighting up the room with his ‘Kenergy’. How this came to be is a funny story. On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Ryan shared that he found his daughter’s Ken doll in a rather sorry position, face down in the dirt beside a squished tree in his backyard. That was it for him, and he took on the role of Ken to tell the world this poor guy’s story. Quite a fantasy bromance, we must say!
3. The iconic Barbie house isn’t just a fantasy.
Remember the humongous, larger-than-life and pink Barbie doll house many of us wanted but couldn’t get? Well, it’s no more just a large mass of plastic but a real-life, brick-and-mortar house! Ditto; like the fantasy toy of childhood, this Malibu Barbie house was recently up for rent by Airbnb. If only this were in India, isn’t that what you’re thinking right now?
4. Pink-only Wednesdays on the Barbie sets
Pink Wednesdays… ring a bell, right? In the spirit of Barbie and getting inspired by Mean Girls, Margot Robbie made everyone on sets, and we mean everyone wear pink on Wednesdays. It gets funnier. Those who didn’t wear pink were fined. Hilariously, the actress would personally collect the fines, and the money would be donated to charity, which we are sure must have been a lot.
5. Margot’s singing debut as Barbie
Margot is a fantastic actress with a string of hits like Wolf of the Wall Street, Suicide Squad and I, Tonya under her belt, but we never heard her sing. The actress is set to cross another significant milestone as an artist as she is about to stun us with her vocal prowess in a couple of songs in Barbie alongside Ryan Gosling. We can’t wait to hear their melodic symphony!
6. Barbie has painted the B Town pink too!
The Barbie craze has taken over B-Town in India! As the release day approaches, numerous celebrities are showcasing their pink ensembles on social media in homage to the fashion icon. Bhumi Pednekar, Mrunal Thakur, Sharvari Wagh, and Ananya Pandey recently posted stunning pictures on Instagram flaunting their Barbie-inspired looks. It’s impossible not to be entranced by their beauty!
Interesting, isn’t it? Well, don’t waste any time and dive into the magical pink realm of Barbieland this Friday at your nearest PVR INOX!
Hollywood
Paramount Skydance secures financing for Warner Bros Discovery deal
Debt syndication and new loans push $111 billion merger closer to close
WASHINGTON: Paramount Skydance has taken a major step towards its planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, securing fresh financing and completing the syndication of its bridge loan facility.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed that the bridge facility has now been distributed among a group of 18 banks, reducing total commitments to $49 billion from an earlier $54 billion. The move spreads risk across lenders and signals growing confidence in one of the year’s largest media deals.
Alongside this, the company has finalised permanent financing arrangements, including $5 billion in senior term loans and a $5 billion revolving credit facility. A previously planned $3.5 billion credit line has been dropped as part of the restructuring.
The loans are secured against key assets, including Paramount Global, Skydance Media and Warner Bros post-merger, underlining the scale and complexity of the transaction.
The financing push follows a competitive bidding process earlier this year, which saw interest from players such as Netflix before Paramount Skydance emerged as the frontrunner. The deal, valued at $111 billion, is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Adding to the momentum, the company has also secured significant equity backing, including investments from Middle Eastern funds, with support from billionaire Larry Ellison, who has guaranteed the equity portion of the transaction.
Commenting on the development, Paramount Skydance chief strategy officer Andy Gordon said, “Our successful debt syndication and new debt facilities represent another important milestone towards the completion of our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.”
Once completed, the combined entity is expected to carry net debt of just under $80 billion, reflecting the sheer scale of the merger.
As Hollywood continues to consolidate in the streaming era, this deal could reshape the competitive landscape, with Paramount Skydance betting big on scale, content and financial muscle to take on global rivals.
