Britain on Thursday gave the green light to Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, as the entertainment and media mega-deal still faces a key hurdle in the United States. The UK government and the antitrust watchdog both cleared the deal after initially raising concerns over media plurality and competition, respectively. The Competition and […]
Category: English Entertainment
Istanbul cymbals: From Ottoman war tool to pulse of global music
The rhythmic clanging of hammers on bronze echoes through the Istanbul workshop where three craftsmen are landing blows with astonishing precision to transform featureless metal discs into highly prized handcrafted cymbals. First used by Ottoman military “mehter” bands to frighten and demoralise the enemy, cymbals were a useful tool for an empire on the warpath. But […]
Paramount CEO says politics fueling Warner Bros. merger battle
Paramount CEO David Ellison said Tuesday that the legal battle over his proposed multibillion-dollar takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was fueled by politics rather than concerns over market share. His remarks in an opinion piece published in The New York Times came as a federal judge set a March 2027 trial date for the antitrust […]
‘Spider-Man’ breaks record for domestic box office debut
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” had the biggest debut weekend of all time at the domestic box office, updated figures for the United States and Canada showed Monday. The latest entry in the Marvel superhero franchise — with British actor Tom Holland once again in the titular role — earned $360 million, up from Sunday’s estimate […]
Ariana Grande withdraws from London musical, seeks to ‘step back’
Pop star Ariana Grande has dropped out of what would have been her debut appearance in London’s West End, the show’s producers said Sunday, as a representative for the singer said she wants to take a “step back” from the public eye. The 33-year-old Grande had been slated to star opposite her “Wicked” castmate Jonathan […]
Returning to ‘Ted Lasso’ after break ‘effortless’: Hannah Waddingham
With World Cup excitement still reverberating, Apple TV’s football comedy hit “Ted Lasso” is returning after a three-year hiatus, and according to the cast, they needed no warm-up to get back on the pitch.”It felt completely and utterly… effortless. Just ridiculously effortless,” Hannah Waddingham told AFP at a press event alongside costars Jeremy Swift and […]
‘Spider-Man’ soars to huge $355 million opening in North America
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Sony and Marvel’s latest chapter in the comic book adventure starring Tom Holland as the iconic web-slinger, raked in a massive $355 million in its North American debut, industry estimates showed Sunday. The opening was the second-biggest in domestic box office history, only behind “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) at $357 million, not […]
Vincent Pastore, who played ‘Big Pussy’ on ‘The Sopranos,’ dead at 80
Vincent Pastore, the actor best known for mob enforcer-turned-informant Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s hit series “The Sopranos,” has died at the age of 80, his manager told AFP on Saturday. Hollywood news outlet Deadline reported that the veteran actor, a native New Yorker, was found dead Saturday in his home in The Bronx. […]
Tyla drops Lagos show as South Africa, Nigeria row over immigration
South African singer-songwriter Tyla has removed a scheduled show in Nigeria as tensions over anti-immigrant violence hamper relations between the two countries. No reason was given for the change to her tour, but it came after some Nigerians on social media had called for a boycott of the show. For months, South Africa has been […]