Hollywood
Transforming the BO, ‘Transformers – Age of Extinction’ sets new records
MUMBAI: A larger than life feature presentation that has gone on to become a blockbuster, renowned director – Michael Bay’s fourth edition of Transformers has made a whooping Rs 30 crore as its weekend Box Office collection, ending the second quarter of the year on a high.
Opening as the second biggest Hollywood film of 2014, Transformers – Age of Extinction received a thunderous response from viewers while also being the third biggest opening weekend for a Hollywood film in India.
Having released in four languages in India (English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu), this film has been distributed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures in India. With a distribution strategy that included approximately 1400 screens from across 770 locations, this epic franchise has an ever-growing fan base and revenues that multiply year on year in the region.
The movie was released across 37 countries and with nearly $400 million collections worldwide.
Paramount films with its two upcoming movies Hercules and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hopes to gain considerable momentum in the fourth quarter of 2014.
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.
