In this Jan. 7, 2015 file photo, actress Melissa McCarthy arrives at the People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
The "Ghostbusters" reboot has set its all-female leads with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and a pair of "Saturday Night Live" performers.
Director Paul Feig announced his stars by posting their pictures on Twitter on Tuesday. Joining McCarthy and Wiig are Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.
Feig tweeted that Sony Pictures will release the film in July 2016. Production is expected to begin later this year. The new "Ghostbusters" updates the original 1984 film and the 1989 sequel.
Wiig and McCarthy both starred in "Bridesmaids," which Feig directed. He has since worked with McCarthy on all of his films, including their upcoming action comedy "Spy."
McKinnon joined "SNL" in 2012. Jones first came to the show as a writer and transitioned into a featured player last fall.
Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.
The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.
DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.
"While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.
The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.
The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.
DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More
