Elon Musk, Movie Mogul? Paramount Is Reportedly Thinking About It

Paramount needs money. Buying Warner Bros. Discovery was expensive, and now the company is looking for new investors. One name that has come up? Elon Musk.

According to a Semafor report, Paramount executives have talked about bringing Musk into a group of wealthy investors. He's being seriously considered by David Ellison. Nobody knows how much Musk might put in. Paramount had no comment, and Musk didn't respond.

This isn't random. Musk and Larry Ellison, David's dad, are old friends. Larry put $1 billion into Musk's Twitter buyout in 2022. He also invested in Tesla and sat on its board for years. Now Musk could return the favor.

Larry needs the help. He personally guaranteed more than $40 billion to get the Warner Bros. deal done. That's a lot of money for just one man. Bringing in other billionaires would ease the pressure. And think about what Musk would be buying into: Paramount, Warner Bros., DC, HBO, CBS and CNN. This is a guy who loves trashing Hollywood and the media. Now he could own a piece of both.

Amazing. What a coincidence! Just 48 hours after David Ellison settled with the state AGs, this story leaks. Not a week before, when it might have complicated the negotiations. Pure luck, I'm sure.

Now, I gather Musk probably wouldn't have any say in how the company is run. He won't be picking the next Batman. But his name alone would send a message to investors, and his fans follow his every move. Honestly, who knows what’s going on here since Semafor’s reporting couldn’t conjure up enough details. How many billions would Musk actually be putting into the company? The actual number would give us a better indication of how much power Musk could leverage in the company's decision-making.

NOTE: Alex Gibney's “Musk,” a documentary Elon has threatened to sue over, is contractually set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max. If Musk has a stake in WarnerMount, you can bet that doc will be buried.

The real problem, of course, is politics. Democrats were already worried about Musk's power during the 2024 election because he owns X. Him owning even a small piece of CNN and CBS would make a lot of people in Washington very nervous.

Cannes 2027: Spitball #1 Includes Scorsese, Östlund, Bong, Chazelle, Nichols, Payne, Haynes, Weerasethakul — and Yes, Malick (Again)

If you've read this column for a while, you know the drill: I spitball Cannes every month from now until April, updating the latest intel and trying to figure out what will be in competition, vying for the Palme d'Or.

What Are You Seeing This Weekend? ‘Godzilla Minus Zero,' ‘Wild Horse Nine,' ‘La Bola Negra' Expands, ‘Club Kid,' ‘I Play Rocky' & ‘Possible Love'

This is an open discussion thread. Tell us what you're seeing Friday to Sunday, what you thought of it, and what's still on your list. This weekend you have plenty of options.

007 Surprise! Robert Pattinson Screen Tested for James Bond

Yep, Robert Pattinson has screen tested to play James Bond, according to "multiple sources" who spoke to THR. He joins the already-reported trio of Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor.

‘1408’ Sequel Is Happening With Sam Jackson, John Cusack, Elijah Wood and Natalia Dyer

Cusack has been open about this being the one sequel he'd ever do. Last year he told People he'd never had the urge to make sequels, but "1408" interested him, partly because, in his words, "most movies suck."

James Bond: Two Mystery Stars Secretly Tested For 007, Per THR

This week, two different UK tabloids named two different actors, Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor, as the chosen one. That follows last week's claim that Callum Turner had been cast as 007, which tells you just how in the dark everybody is.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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