Actors Penelope Cruz, left, and Javier Bardem pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Everybody Knows' at the 71st international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 9, 2018. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
CANNES, France (AP) --
Penelope Cruz says she and her husband Javier Bardem were paid equally for the Cannes Film Festival opener "Everybody Knows."
In the film, the Spanish-language debut of Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, Cruz and Bardem play former lovers dealing with the kidnapping of a daughter. Asked Wednesday at a press conference in Cannes if they were paid the same, Cruz replied, "Actually, yes."
Shortly after "Everybody Knows" opened the Cannes Film Festival, Focus Features acquired the film. The specialty division of Universal Pictures said Wednesday that it will distribute it in the U.S. and much of the world.
Farhadi has won two Academy Awards for best foreign language film, for "A Separation" and "The Salesman." Producers said they will also aim for the Oscars with "Everybody Knows."
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
