Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount

Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount

Netflix is walking away from its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival.

On Thursday, Warner’s board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount’s latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 per share was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix. Warner gave Netflix four business days to come up with a counteroffer — but Netflix instead responded less than two hours later, declining to raise its proposal. It said the new price it would have to pay made the deal “no longer financially attractive.” Joining guest host Jacob Margolis are Joe Flint, media and entertainment reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and Dominic Patten, executive editor at Deadline Hollywood.

With files from the Associated Press. 

Does legal sports betting cost us all?

Sports gambling is everywhere. Advertisements are ubiquitous even in California, where attempts to broadly legalize sports betting were rejected by voters in 2022. Is legalized sports gambling a democratizing force that can bring easy money for fans? Or by easing restrictions on betting in the United States are we creating a public health crisis? Guest host Jacob Margolis speaks with author Danny Funt about his new book Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling which looks behind the scenes at the legalization of sports gambling and the rise of companies like DraftKings and FanDuel. We’d also like to hear from you: Have you won (or just fantasized about winning big)? Has sports betting become a regular habit for you or someone you know? Give us a call at 866-892-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Natas Pastries is Sherman Oaks’ airport into Portuguese egg tarts, other baked goods

Tucked into the San Fernando Valley, not too far off from the Los Angeles River, is a Portuguese cafe that’s been around for decades. Natas Pastries in Sherman Oaks is owned by Fatima Marques, a chef originally from Lisbon, Portugal; the baked goods include Portuguese empanadas and also nata, which is a puff pastry topped with custard. Today on Food Friday, we’ll talk to Nata Pastries’ chef and owner, Fatima Marques, about her journey introducing Portuguese baked goods to Angelenos and valley residents.

FilmWeek: ‘Scream 7,’ ‘Paul McCartney: Man on the Run,’ ‘Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It,” and more!

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

Scream 7, Wide Release
Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, In Select Theaters & Streaming on Amazon Prime
Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It, In Select Theaters March 3
Ghost Elephants, In Select Theaters | Streaming on Hulu & Disney+ March 8
Crazy Old Lady, Streaming on Shudder and AMC+
Space Cowboy, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
The Bluff, Streaming on Amazon Prime
For Worse, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Undercard, In Select Theaters
Dreams, In Select Theaters
K-Pops!, In Select Theaters

Feature: A new documentary celebrates the legacy of musician Billy Preston

A child prodigy, Billy Preston began performing at his local church in Los Angeles, but his talents on the keyboard and singing quickly led him to guest appearances on The Nat King Cole Show, and later touring with Ray Charles. Preston was a popular musician in his own right, known for hits like ‘Will It Go Round in Circles,’ and ‘Nothing From Nothing,’ but he also had a reputation for working behind the scenes with icons like Little Richard and The Beatles. Today on FilmWeek we talk with Paris Barclay, the director behind a new documentary on Billy Preston.

Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It is in select theaters.