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    Will Smith, Paolo Sorrentino join Cannes Film Festival jury 

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2222 Views
    In this combination photo, actor Will Smith attends the world premiere of "Suicide Squad" on Aug. 1, 2016, in New York, left, and Jessica Chastain attends the premiere of "The Son" on April 3, 2017, in Los Angeles. Smith, Chastain and and Italian director Paolo Sorrentino are joining the jury for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival runs May 17-28. (Photo by Evan Agostini, left, and Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and Italian director Paolo Sorrentino are joining the jury for the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

    Festival organizers announced the jury lineup Tuesday. Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar was previously announced as the jury president.

    Also serving on the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or is German director Maren Ade, Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, French actress Agnes Jaoui, Chinese star Fan Bingbing and the French-Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared.

    Among the films competing for the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes festival are Sofia Coppola's "The Beguiled," Todd Haynes' "Wonderstruck" and Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Loveless.

    Uma Thurman was previously announced as the jury president for the festival's Un Certain Regard section.

    The Cannes Film Festival runs May 17-28.

    Tags:Cannes Film Festival



    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

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