Register

    Apple cancels premiere of “The Banker” at AFI Fest over “concerns”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1573 Views
    This image released by Apple TV Plus shows, from left, Nicholas Hoult, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie in a scene from “The Banker." (Apple TV Plus via AP)

    By Jake Coyle, Film Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Apple has canceled the premiere of one of the tech company's first original films, "The Banker" the day before it was to debut at Los Angeles' AFI Fest.

    In a statement Wednesday, Apple said that last week it learned of "some concerns" surrounding "The Banker" and needs "some time to look into these matters." An Apple spokesperson declined to elaborate.

    The based-on-a-true-story film stars Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie. Mackie plays Bernard Garrett who in the 1950s and '60s recruited a white man to pose as the face of his expansive real estate and banking business. In 1968, Garrett was convicted of misusing bank funds.

    The film is Apple's boldest step yet into moviemaking. A theatrical release is scheduled for Dec. 6, after which it would be a part of the company's new streaming service, Apple TV Plus.

    AFI said it would replace "The Banker" with a screening of Noah Baumbach's Netflix release "Marriage Story" as its closing-night film.

    Tags:AFI FestAppleThe Banker



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    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

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment