After receiving a revised offer from Skydance, the fate of Paramount lies in the hands of controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. What might be keeping her from approving the deal? Are there other offers on the table? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the latest at Paramount.
What’s the holdup? Shari Redstone is asking for indemnity from Skydance, as potential lawsuits from Paramount shareholders loom. “They just can't seem to close. And the issue seems to be that she doesn't want to be exposed by the lawsuit that will inevitably come. So now she has been talking to a couple of other players that are coming onto the scene, and this is just this incredible drama that will not resolve,” Masters explains.
Blurred vision? As Redstone weighs her options for the future of Paramount, the studio’s co-CEOs rolled out their vision during the company’s annual shareholder meeting. “They were going to do a town hall this past week, which they canceled, because nothing has been really resolved, but these three guys laid out their vision for the paramount if they get to keep running it. And of course, that vision is not a vision that a lot of people might want, because what do you think it involves? Cutting costs. And that means lots of layoffs,” Masters says.
A huge mess? After the postponement of the employee town hall, Paramount’s fate continues to be unclear. “It's really the messiest deal that I can remember at this point. I mean, other people have made big mistakes, like when Sony initially bought Columbia Pictures, that was a huge mistake. They finally figured how to get themselves out of the swamp that they got themselves into. But this is, like this endless and I think emotional journey, certainly for Shari Redstone”