Hollywood
Visitors to Madame Tussauds in Sydney to get close to Amitabh Bachchan
NEW DELHI: As guests enter Madame Tussauds Sydney from October this year, they will be greeted by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, and one of the top-notching stars of cinema internationally
A wax statue of the star is being placed from October to December in the gallery to enable visitors of Madame Tussauds in Darling Harbour Sydney to get a chance to get up close and personal with the indisputable ‘King’ of Indian Cinema in an interactive experience set to have everyone practicing their best Bollywood dance moves.
Madame Tussauds Sydney general manager Quinn Clarke said he was delighted to welcome Bachchan to Sydney and remarked, “With his lifetime of professional achievements, it is nothing but an honour for Madame Tussauds Sydney to serve as the temporary home for the wax figure of Amitabh Bachchan.”
Clarke continued, “Amitabh will add even more colour and interactivity to our attraction, and I have no doubt the amazingly lifelike wax figure will be extremely popular with our guests, particularly the local community. The Bollywood industry is one that is growing exponentially and we are certainly very proud to be able to offer our guests a taste of it right here in Sydney.”
Bachchan was, for the first time in the history of Madame Tussauds, nominated to be portrayed by fans in a world-wide internet poll. Amitabh undertook a sitting and is portrayed from the year 2000.
Madame Tussauds Sydney is located on Sydney’s renowned Darling Harbour and is the place to get on stage with the stars, rub shoulders with the most powerful politicians and challenge your favourite sports heroes. Amitabh will join the unique line-up of celebrities already featured at Madame Tussauds Sydney including Captain Cook, Sir Donald Bradman, Albert Einstein, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga.
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.
