Hollywood
Tarantino to premiere leaked script with an exclusive stage reading
MUMBAI: Many of the Film Independent, The New York Times Film Club and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) members are geeking out over the news that Film Independent is presenting what’s sure to be one of the most exciting happenings in the film world this year: Quentin Tarantino is going to direct a staged reading of The Hateful Eight for Film Independent at the LACMA!
On Thursday, 24 April at 8:00 pm, the iconic director will show up with a hand-picked cast to LACMA’s Bing Theater for a world premiere reading of the unmade script that’s been causing a ruckus since January, when Tarantino pulled the plug on the picture immediately upon learning that the script had been leaked by someone connected to the small circle of actors he’d circulated it to.
“I like the fact that people like my shit, and that they go out of their way to find it and read it,” an outraged Tarantino told Deadline. This staged reading could be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see something that has never been seen before and probably won’t be seen again. It will not be recorded or live-streamed. Also, the cast is likely to remain secret until they appear on stage that night at the Bing.
The Hateful Eight follows the steadily ratcheting tension that develops after a blizzard diverts a stagecoach from its route, trapping a pitiless and mistrustful group, which includes a competing pair of bounty hunters, a renegade Confederate soldier and a female prisoner in a saloon in the middle of nowhere.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
