Hollywood
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ garners highest Hollywood BO opening of all time in India
NEW DELHI: Bypassing the record set by its predecessor, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 posted the highest opening in history for a Hollywood film in India.
Sony Pictures India announced that the film grossed approximately Rs 41.7 crore ($ 6.92 million) in its four day opening weekend starting 1 May with a final tally of 1523 screens – the widest release ever for a Hollywood film.
The film also registered the highest ever opening day gross for any Hollywood title when it opened on 1 May. It released in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and in 3D, 2D, IMAX 3D and in Dolby Atmos where available.
Sony Pictures India MD Kercy Daruwala said, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2 once again consolidates Spider-Man’s position as a franchise that cannot be beaten. We are happy to say that the film garnered unprecedented buzz in the weeks before release. We have taken a mass marketing approach to this film with some unique and very local innovations, further amplified with the invaluable support of the entire Sony group. Thanks to these innovations, the film has the fourth highest opening amongst all films, including local titles, released in India this year.”
“The film’s response has been excellent with many people calling it the best Spider-Man film ever and enjoying the spectacular 3D effects. We have some very good weeks ahead of us as we continue to reap the benefits of an open release period coupled with great word-of-mouth and repeat viewing,” he added.
Sequels to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have already been announced for release in 2016 and 2018.
A report from Hong Kong said The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has set a new opening day record at the Hong Kong box office on the Labour Day holiday, making HK$9.56 million (US$1.23 million) from 720 screenings.
According to figures from Hong Kong’s Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA), the previous record holder was 2007’s Spiderman 3, which made HK$7.56 million (US$975,000) from 641 screenings on its opening day exactly seven years ago.
It ends its theatrical run with HK$55 million (US$7.1 million).
While Spiderman 3 was in 2-D, The Amazing Spider-man 2 has also released in 3-D and IMAX 3-D, formats that impose considerable ticket surcharges in Hong Kong.
The record for the highest opening day gross for a local film still belongs to Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle (2004), which opened with HK$4.43 million (US$571,000) for a total gross of HK$61.3 million (US$7.9 million).
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.
