Hollywood
Censor Board bans ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ in India
MUMBAI: It finally official. Fifty Shades of Grey will not see an India release. According to media reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has said that they will not allow the film to be shown in cinemas as fans had eagerly waited for the release of the film in India.
Fifty Shades of Grey was first screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on 11 February, 2015. The film was released in 75 IMAX screens across the US on 13 February, 2015.
Central Board of Film Certification Shravan Kumar did not mention the reasons for which the panel refused to approve the film adaptation. He though went on to add that the Comcast Corp unit that released the Universal Pictures film could appeal the decision.
Sources said that the board had objected to the film’s dialogue, even after Universal had made voluntary edits to the film to bring down its raunchy sex scenes and removed some forms of nudity.
The film so far has grossed more than $400 million in global ticket sales. However, countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Kenya have banned the film in their theaters for its sexual content.
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.
