In this March 13, 2018 file photo, director Ava DuVernay appears at the premiere of "A Wrinkle In Time," in London. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has checked off another milestone for black female directors. This week her film "A Wrinkle in Time" crossed the $100 million mark domestically, a first for a black woman. The film got a late-game boost playing as a double feature at drive-in theaters with the record-breaking "Incredibles 2" this past weekend.
DuVernay said on Instagram that she may be the first but will not be the last.
DuVernay was also the first black woman to get a budget of over $100 million to direct a film. "A Wrinkle in Time" cost around $103 million to make.
The Disney film has now grossed over $132.4 million worldwide, but with marketing costs well over $100 million, "A Wrinkle in Time" is also still not in the black.
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
