Hollywood
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theatres across India on 2 May 2014
A global trailer has been launched for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 whichis slated for a 2 May 2014 release in US and India.
Sony Pictures and the large network of companies within the Sony family has launched the studio’s teaser trailer for this highly anticipated film.
The trailer is available in multiple languages including English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese Simplified (China), Chinese Traditional (Taiwan), Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Korean, and Russian.
The launch event was announced by Sony Pictures president of theatrical marketing Dwight Caines and Sony Pictures Releasing International president of marketing Nigel Clark.
The trailer will appear on numerous Sony networks, internet sites, and other Sony properties, including the movie’s official site (TheAmazingSpiderMan.com) and social pages, the Sony Pictures YouTube channel; Sony Pictures Imageworks’ official site and social page; Sony Pictures Television Networks’ worldwide footprint of TV channels, digital networks, websites, social apps and platforms, including AXN, Animax, Sony Entertainment Television, Spin, Crackle, Kalixta, Sony Movie Channel, CineSony, FEARnet, and the Game Show Network; PlayStation (official site, blog, and social pages); PlayStation Storefront; Sony Entertainment Network (official sites and social pages); Sony Electronics social pages; Sony Mobile social pages; Sony Select service on Sony Mobile smartphones; and Sony’s Times Square billboard.
Commenting on the announcement, Caines said, “We are always looking to reach moviegoers wherever they are, and when we have the opportunity to leverage Sony’s worldwide reach in this way, it’s an opportunity that we just have to grab. The filmmakers are delivering the epic Spider-Man movie that audiences truly want to experience, and we are thrilled to give the world its first real taste of the movie they’ll be seeing next summer.”
Clark added, “Spider-Man is beloved by audiences all over the world, so we wanted to launch the trailer in a truly global way. We have had great success launching trailers across Sony’s diverse entertainment platform – and when you have a character like Spider-Man, it demands a broad, fun way to reach moviegoers internationally as well as domestically. Everyone at Sony is just as excited as we are to see the next chapter in the story of Peter Parker begin to unfold in this way.”
‘We have always known that Spider-Man’s most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead’, he added.
Said Andrew Garfield, “It’s great to be Spider-Man; for Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city.”
With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realise that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.
Directed by Marc Webb and produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. Screen Story and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner and is based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
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.
