Hollywood
‘The Jungle Book’ to premiere on three Star channels on 27 November
MUMBAI: Star Movies has been home to the biggest blockbusters that have enthralled audiences over the years. Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD are all set to bring the beloved childhood classic – Disney’s The Jungle Book to audiences in India.
Some stories leave a lasting impression on our minds while some fade away. Jungle Book is the former; a story that has kept us spellbound with every adaptation, be it TV or film. Academy Award winning director Jon Favreau brings to life Disney’s The Jungle Book as a benchmark of how CGI films have developed over the years. Disney’s The Jungle Book will premiere on Star Movies, Star Movies HD and Star Movies Select HD on 27 November (Sunday,) at 1pm and 9pm.
The film’s cast includes three Oscar winners: Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o and Christopher Walken; and an Oscar nominee: Bill Murray. Featuring Neel Sethi as Mowgli with voices from Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Scarlet Johansson, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o and many more, the film rings true to Rudyard Kipling’s timeless tale. All the characters in the movie played an instrumental role in helping Mowgli make the jungle his home. Whether it was Raksha who took care of him as her own; Bagheera who protected him from the sinister Shere Khan or the free spirited Baloo- they formed a family like no other. Disney’s The Jungle Book is about values as much as it is about the grandeur of film-making.
With a worldwide gross of over US$ 963.7 million, the film is the year’s highest grossing Hollywood film in India and second biggest grossing film of 2016 (Hindi and English including).
Visually stunning, Jon Favreau’s re-telling of a classic pays tribute to the original adventure of one of your most beloved childhood stories.
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.
