In this Nov. 16, 2017 file photo, Mel Gibson arrives at the premiere of "Daddys Home 2," in London. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
Mel Gibson will co-write and direct a remake of Sam Peckinpah's classic 1969 Western "The Wild Bunch."
Warner Bros. on Monday confirmed that Gibson will helm the production, with Bryan Bagby to co-write the script with him. It will be Gibson's first time directing since his 2016 World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge," for which Gibson earned a best directing Oscar nomination.
"Hacksaw Ridge" was nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture. The Oscar reception was seen by some as a comeback for Gibson in Hollywood years after he pleaded no contest in 2011 to spousal battery of his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. In 2006, he went on an anti-Semitic tirade while being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
No production start or release date for "The Wild Bunch" was announced. Gibson is first prepping a World War II drama to star Mark Wahlberg.
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
