English Entertainment
FX to telecast drama series ‘Empire’
MUMBAI: This July, FX will exclusively launch ‘Empire,’ a super addictive hip hop drama series that has created a sensation on International television. Hitting TV screens on 14 July in India, the series is sure to engage viewers with its gripping narrative and brilliant performances every Monday to Friday, 10 pm only on FX.
Uncovering an explosive and ferocious struggle for power, Empire weaves a riveting tale of unimaginable extremes, centering on the exploits of a hip hop music empire mogul and his family who battle it out for his throne. Family politics, Money, Murder and Passion charged with the twisted dynamics between the show’s cast has made Empire one of television’s most addictive dramas in recent times.
The series brings to life risqué characters, portrayed through an impressive award winning ensemble cast. Headlined by the brilliant Terrence Howard as the music empire mogul- Lucious Lyon played by Terence Howard and his ex-wife Cookie Lyon played by Taraji P. Henson, the show has witnessed the highest ratings in recent television history breaking numerous records on television including being #1 new series of the 2014/15 Season on US Broadcast TV among its other accolades. Set against a backdrop of the glamorous hip-hop music industry, the series has surpassed expectations with its original soundtrack exclusively written and produced by the multiple Grammy-winning producer-rapper Timbaland. Earning rave reviews, Empire’s soundtrack beat the Queen of Pop, Madonna on the race to the top, debuting on the number one spot of the much coveted Billboard 200 chart. According to Nielson Music, Empire is also First TV Series Soundtrack to Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and sold 110,000 copies in the week ending 15 March.
FX has launched a 360 degrees multimedia campaign spanning TV campaign beyond the Star Network, Digital, Trade and innovations across Outdoor and consumer activations.
English Entertainment
Ellison takes his Paramount-Warner Bros case straight to theater owners
The Skydance chief goes to CinemaCon with promises and a skeptical crowd waiting
CALIFORNIA: David Ellison strode into a room packed with thousands of cinema owners and executives at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday and did something rather bold: he looked them in the eye and asked them to trust him.
The chief executive of Paramount Skydance vowed that his company would release a minimum of 30 films a year if regulators greenlight its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that has made theater owners deeply, and loudly, nervous.
“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word,” Ellison told the crowd. “Once we combine with Warner Bros, we are going to make a minimum of 30 films annually across both studios.”
It was a confident pitch. Whether it landed is another matter. Cinema operators have already called on regulators to block the deal, and scepticism in the room was hardly concealed.
Ellison pushed back by pointing to recent form. Paramount, born from the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media last August, plans to release 15 films this year, nearly double the eight it put out in 2025. Progress, he argued, was already underway.
He also threw theater owners a bone they have long been chasing: all films, he pledged, would run exclusively in cinemas for a minimum of 45 days, drawing applause from a crowd that has spent years fighting for exactly that commitment across the industry.
“People can speculate all they want,” Ellison said, “but I am standing here today telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment. And we’ll show you we mean it.”
Fine words. The regulators, however, will have the last one.
