Hollywood
‘The Monuments Men’ team get an access to Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’
MUMBAI: The team of The Monuments Men got an unprecedented access to photograph the cast of the movie in front of one of the world’s greatest art masterpieces – Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
This art masterpiece was in danger of being lost during WWII and was rescued by the Monuments Men as depicted in the film, so there is a direct correlation to the film. These images have been shot exclusively for Fox by Italian photographer Gianmarco Chieregato.
It became possible because of the cooperation among the Italian Ministry for Culture and Tourism, the Milan’s Monuments, Fine Arts and Landscape Department, and Twentieth Century Fox, the film distribution company.
“The Magificent Seven” in the snapshot are: the director, screenwriter, producer and star of the film George Clooney and co-stars Matt Damon, Jean Dujardin, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, and Dimitri Leonidas.
The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci is the set of one of the opening scenes of the film that will release on 21 February, because the bombing that endangered Leonardo’s masterpiece strongly contributed to the decision to set up the Monuments Men, a group of art critics, museum curators, and archivists, who towards the end of the Second World War, saved thousands of artworks from bombings, pilfering, looting and Nazi barbarity.
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.
