In this image released by TriStar Pictures, Charlotte Le Bon, left, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt appear in a scene from "The Walk." (Takashi Seida/Sony Pictures via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
For the second time, the New York Film Festival will open in 3-D.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced Thursday that Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk" will premiere as the opening night selection of the 53rd annual New York Film Festival. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit, the French high-wire artist who walked between the two World Trade Center towers in 1974.
Another 3-D drama, Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," kicked off the festival in 2012.
Zemeckis' highly anticipated film will premiere at New York's Alice Tully Hall on Sept. 25 before opening in theaters Oct. 2.
Kent Jones, festival director, said "The Walk" plays "like a classic heist movie" and also offers "an astonishing recreation of Lower Manhattan in the '70s."
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
