Hollywood
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ takes biggest ever opening weekend
MUMBAI: The opening weekend for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is officially the biggest in North American box office history, ahead of its India release on 25 December.
The movie’s first weekend in theaters, the seventh film of the franchise brought in $238 million. The previous record-holder was Jurassic World, which made $208.8 million during its debut weekend over the summer.
Globally, Star Wars brought in $517 million, coming in just under the $525 million that Jurassic World made. However, the latter had the advantage of opening in China as well; The Force Awakens doesn’t come out there until 9 January, 2016.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens posted the highest Thursday preview gross ($57 million), the highest single-day and Friday gross ($120.5 million), and it is the first film to surpass $100 million in a single day. It also posted the highest theater average for a wide release with $57,568.
Marking the biggest opening weekend ever in numerous key territories, including the UK, Germany, Australia, and Russia, Star Wars: The Force Awakens posted an estimated international opening weekend of $279 million (third highest reported opening weekend in industry history, behindJurassic World at $316 million including around $97 million China and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 at $314 million) and topping the previous December record held by Avatar ($164.5 million).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens storm-trooped its way across the global landscape (except for China) this weekend to post an amazing estimated $517 million global gross.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens also generated a record-breaking estimated $48 million from Imax screens globally, beating the previous Jurassic World record of $44 (which included China).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was on over 30,000 screens internationally this weekend. It opened at #1 in all markets throughout the world with the exception of Korea and Vietnam, where it was the #1 western films.
In the Asia-Pacific, the movie raked in $75.7 million, whereas in Latin America, it totted $36.0 million.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is directed by JJ Abrams and stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.
The movie opens in India on 25 December in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
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.
