Hollywood
Sony Le Plex HD brings Hollywood trivia on ‘It’s 9 O’ Talk’
MUMBAI: Great conversations start with great topics. Great topics come out of common interests. Common interests include one’s undying love for great movies. Indeed, movies are great conversation starters. These conversations can often unravel some interesting, unknown facts that are common across a diverse set of films – like profession of the characters or their graduation school or scenes shot at the same location or actors having the same name – factors that are random but unique. Sony Le PLEX HD is all set to bring out these interesting binding themes with a brand new slot called ‘It’s 9 O’ Talk’ starting Monday, 14 November, 2016.
Airing once a month, Monday-Friday at 9 PM, the channel will showcase five different movies in ‘It’s 9 O’ Talk’, that are connected on a string through one distinct theme. Creating a premium conversational platform for quality cinema lovers, Sony Le PLEX HD has introduced an innovative way to add to the enthusiasm of movie buffs. Reaching out to the movie lovers, anchor Neha Sareen will share some interesting facts around these themes before the airing of each movie. The first theme on the show is called ‘Dollars in the Diapers’, which connects 5 movies – The People vs. Larry Flynt, Mortdecai, After Earth, Prisoners and Still Alice – with a common theme of actors born with a silver spoon like Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jaden Smith, Jake Gyllenhaal and Kristen Stewart.
The other interesting themes include ‘Bling on the Ring’ – Biggest and the Best celebrity engagement rings, ‘The AD-vantage Actors’- actors who started their acting careers with ads and ‘And The Award Doesn’t Go To’- actors you won’t believe haven’t won an Oscar! to name a few.
Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and Business Head, English Cluster, Saurabh Yagnik said: “With the tagline ‘Where You Belong’, we created a community that brought together different or uncommon people through their common love for films. Listicles fit in with that idea of finding the common in the uncommon. It is a very popular format to drive online conversations amongst communities. This unconventional programing initiative will be a delight for movie lovers as it gives them reasons to have interesting conversations through the week. The themes focus on finding a unique, unexpected and unusual connection between various films, which is supplemented with interesting information – essentially, fun trivia for movie lovers to discuss with their loved ones.”
Sony Le PLEX HD is the premium Hollywood movie channel caters to avid English movie lovers who enjoy watching critically acclaimed Hollywood cinema.
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.
