Hollywood
‘World War Z’ director to helm ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ spin-off ‘Sinister Six’
MUMBAI: Back In December, Sony hired Drew Goddard to pen the script for the spin-off of the blockbuster film franchise, which will focus on the villains in Spider-Man’s world. Also hired in December were Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Ed Solomon to work on another spinoff, titled Venom, centred on the black-costumed villain that already made his big-screen debut in the third Spider-Man movie of the Sam Raimi trilogy.
When Goddard was tapped to write the script for Sinister Six, there was the possibility that he also could direct. Those plans seem to be falling into place, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The Sinister Six has had several permutations in the comics but originally featured Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Mysterio, Vulture and Kraven the Hunter. Octopus already appeared in Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, while Sandman was the villain (along with Venom) in Spider-Man 3. Electro (Jamie Foxx), the Rhino (Paul Giamatti) and the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) are the villains in Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, starring Andrew Garfield will hit Indian theatres 1 May, before its US release a day later. Kurtzman and Orci, who did rewrites for Spider-Man 2, are already working on a third instalment of Amazing Spider-Man.
Goddard, wrote and made his directorial debut with the 2012 horror film The Cabin in the Woods, and will write and executive producer Netflix’s Daredevil.
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.
