Two decades after debuting with a box office failure that drew harsh reviews, Skydance Productions is now poised to become one of the most powerful forces in global entertainment, with a proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery marking the latest chapter in its dramatic rise, according to news agency AP report.Founded in 2006 by David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the studio began as a relatively obscure entrant in Hollywood. Its first film, Flyboys, a World War I drama starring Ellison himself, failed commercially and critically, prompting early doubts about the company’s future.Yet the studio steadily built momentum through partnerships, strategic financing and franchise-driven successes. Today, following its merger with Paramount and a fresh bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance stands on the verge of transforming into a media powerhouse spanning film, television, streaming and news assets.“It’s only a surprise to those who haven’t been paying attention to the long game,” said Walter Nicoletti, founder of film production company Voce Spettacolo. “This is a sort of a silent takeover. Skydance didn’t start as a predator. It started as an essential partner.”

From outsider to industry player

When Ellison launched Skydance at age 23, the company barely registered in Hollywood’s competitive landscape. Early criticism of Flyboys was scathing, with reviewers calling it “cloyingly formulaic” and an “inflated wannabe epic.”Despite setbacks, Ellison continued investing in large-scale productions and partnerships with major studios and platforms including Paramount, Netflix and Apple. Over time, Skydance produced a string of commercially successful films and series, culminating in the billion-dollar hit Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 starring Tom Cruise.Jason Squire, a former studio executive and emeritus professor at the University of Southern California, said Ellison’s rise reflected both persistence and financial backing.“One of the traditions of entering the movie business is serious wealth, or access to serious wealth,” Squire said, AP quoted. “But once you get a foothold, you have to demonstrate that wealth — by buying things, acquiring projects… They became a player.”He added, “He became a member at the table when these partnerships and the infusion of dollars really set him up on a really strong trajectory. It’s quite amazing.”

Expansion through mergers and deals

Rather than being acquired by a larger studio, Skydance ultimately became the acquirer. After years of collaboration, it merged with Paramount last year, gaining control of networks including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and CBS.Since then, Ellison has expanded aggressively, securing agreements ranging from streaming rights for Ultimate Fighting Championship to partnerships with creators of the hit series Stranger Things.Netflix had also been viewed as a potential buyer of Warner Bros. Discovery, but Skydance ultimately emerged as the winning bidder after the streaming giant withdrew its offer. Regulatory approval remains the final hurdle.Tre Lovell, a Los Angeles media lawyer, described the company’s ascent as unprecedented. “This was absolutely a meteoric rise. Two decades from its formation to its current position to become one of the most powerful media companies in the world is nothing less than incredible,” he said.

A reshaped media landscape

If the Warner deal is finalised, Ellison would oversee an expansive portfolio including HBO, HGTV, Food Network and CNN, significantly expanding Skydance’s footprint across entertainment and news.The move also highlights shifting industry dynamics, with consolidation raising concerns among some executives about reduced competition. Squire said he was “no fan” of the takeover despite acknowledging Skydance’s remarkable trajectory.Warner Bros. enters the deal from a position of creative strength, having secured 30 Oscar nominations and a 21% domestic box-office share in 2025, compared with Paramount’s 6%.For Ellison, the transformation marks a striking reversal from the early days when the failure of Flyboys reportedly left him hospitalised with atrial fibrillation. Two decades later, the studio once dismissed as a vanity project now stands at the centre of Hollywood’s biggest power shift.“Hollywood has seen David-versus-Goliath moments before,” said Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of streaming company Future Today.

Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 16:35 IST

Amid Iran-Israel war, analysts say gold and silver prices might see support on safe-haven demand as equities may remain volatile in coming week.

Gold Price Prediction For Monday, March 2.

Gold Price Prediction For Monday, March 2: Even as the Iran-Israel war has begun with missile exchanges on February 28, risk-off sentiment is spreading across global financial markets, pushing investors toward traditional safe-haven assets. Cryptocurrencies (which is the only market open during weekends) were the first to react, with Bitcoin falling nearly 5% to slip below the $64,000 mark after news of the conflict broke. Analysts say equities could remain volatile in the coming week as geopolitical uncertainty intensifies, a backdrop that historically supports gold prices.

Gold had already shown strong momentum ahead of the weekend. In the national capital, prices jumped Rs 1,800 to Rs 1,64,700 per 10 grams on Friday, according to the All India Sarafa Association, compared with Rs 1,62,900 per 10 grams in the previous session. The surge was driven by fresh buying from jewellers and stockists as investors positioned for global uncertainty.

Also Read: Nifty Prediction For Monday: Iran-Israel War Hits Market Sentiments; Gap-Down Likely On March 2

Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst – Commodities at HDFC Securities, said gold rose amid mixed global signals, “as markets weighed escalating US trade protectionism and persistent tensions in the Middle East against a steady dollar”. He added that geopolitical friction and tariff-related uncertainty continued to support safe-haven demand, although a stable dollar and reduced expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts capped sharper gains.

Silver, however, moved in the opposite direction domestically. The metal declined Rs 2,500, or nearly 1%, to Rs 2,68,000 per kilogram from Rs 2,70,500 per kg previously, according to the association. In global markets, spot silver gained 1.6% to USD 89.72 per ounce, while gold traded marginally lower at USD 5,172.17 per ounce.

Gold & Silver Price Prediction: Safe-Haven Demand May Strengthen

Nachiketa Sawrikar, fund manager at Artha Bharat Global Multiplier Fund, believes the geopolitical escalation could intensify flows into defensive assets like gold and silver.

“A USA and Israel attack on Iran would likely trigger broad selling of risky assets across both the developed and emerging markets. We would expect the ongoing rally in USA Treasuries, oil, gold, and silver to extend.”

Typically, this pattern is observed during geopolitical shocks, when investors reduce exposure to equities and rotate capital toward commodities like gold and silver and sovereign debt.

Bullion markets remain closed on weekends in India as well as globally.

Gold & Silver Outlook For March 2

With global markets likely to open the week reacting to war developments, gold and silver’s trajectory on Monday will largely depend on three factors: escalation or de-escalation headlines from the Middle East, movement in the US dollar, and bond-yield trends.

If tensions intensify, safe-haven demand could push bullion prices higher. However, any signs of diplomatic engagement or a sharp rise in the dollar could limit gains.

For now, the broader bias remains supportive for gold and silver, with geopolitical uncertainty reinforcing its traditional role as a hedge during periods of global instability.

Market participants are also turning their attention to key macro triggers. Investors will closely track US Producer Price Index data and commentary from Federal Open Market Committee officials, both of which could shape expectations for interest-rate policy and influence bullion’s near-term trajectory. “Speeches from several Federal Open Market Committee members will also be closely watched for further insights, which may provide fresh momentum for gold,” he said.

Iran-Israel War

The US and Israel launched a major attack on targets across Iran on Saturday, and US President Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to “take over your government” — an extraordinary appeal that suggested the allies could be seeking to end of the country’s theocracy after decades of tensions.

The first strikes of the attack appeared to target the compound home to Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran. It wasn’t immediately clear if he was there at the time. Smoke could be seen rising from the Iranian capital.

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted Death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump said in a video posted on social media that sought to justify the attacks. He urged Iranians to take cover during the strikes, but then: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” The attack quickly expanded beyond Iran. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it responded by launching a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel, where a nationwide warning was issued as the military said it bring down Iranian fire.

Meanwhile, Bahrain said that a missile attack targeted the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom. Witnesses heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, home to US Army Central. Explosions could be also be heard in Qatar.

Iraq and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace, and sirens sounded in Jordan.

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, meanwhile, vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to two senior Houthi officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement from the Houthi leadership.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 13:41 IST

At News18 Rising Bharat Summit, industry leaders highlight India’s shift to domestic manufacturing, digital brands and tier-2 growth amid global trade disruptions.

India’s evolving manufacturing ecosystem, rise of digital-first brands and expanding consumer aspirations are reshaping trade and distribution models, industry leaders said at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit.

India’s evolving manufacturing ecosystem, rise of digital-first brands and expanding consumer aspirations are reshaping trade and distribution models, industry leaders said at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, highlighting how domestic production and new-age logistics networks are powering growth.

Amid global trade disruptions and tariff-related uncertainties, executives said Indian companies are increasingly turning inward, focusing on domestic manufacturing, flexible production and digital distribution to build scalable brands.

Domestic Manufacturing Gains Momentum

Abhishek Chakraborty, CEO of DTDC Express, said the global trade environment over the past few years has been volatile, forcing both manufacturers and logistics players to adapt.

“Two or three years ago, there was a lot of uncertainty for both logistics and manufacturers. The past one year has seen some of the biggest shake-down in the global world of trade, whether it’s because of tariffs or other shocks,” he said.

Against that backdrop, Chakraborty said Indian brands and sellers have used the disruption as an opportunity to strengthen domestic production.

“But, one story that stood out is that Indian brands, Indian sellers, Indian manufacturers, have taken as a big cue to take it upon themselves and honestly start focusing on actual domestic production and manufacturing,” he said.

He noted that the shift is no longer limited to multinational companies producing in India. “Now, not only the big brands or MNCs that used to come and produce, we got Indian homegrown D2C brands, omnichannel brands, brands using completely different distribution models that are now coming in and using the supply chain and logistics capabilities that we have build,” Chakraborty added.

He said quick commerce has changed consumer expectations around delivery speed. “Quick commerce probably led the way in terms of opening up our minds that you can get things in minutes. But it’s not that everything can be delivered in minutes. But certainly, the new generation of Indian consumers and manufacturers are leveraging the new networks that we are creating.”

Low-Cost Brand Creation Fuels Entrepreneurship

Gautam Kapoor, co-founder and CEO of PEP Brands (mCaffeine and Hyphen), said India’s entrepreneurial culture is increasingly finding expression through e-commerce.

“India is a land of entrepreneurs. Large part of young Bharat is becoming entrepreneurs than looking for a job,” he said.

According to Kapoor, e-commerce has lowered entry barriers for new brands by enabling smaller investments and flexible manufacturing options.

“I think e-commerce is one of that places where people find a lot of connect and able to create brands and products by investing less amount of money,” he said.

He added that India’s manufacturing ecosystem now allows brands to experiment and start small. “What has Indian ecosystem manufacturing done is that the capability to any brand to go back and go to a manufacturer, create a fashion brand or personal care brand, create a healthcare brand if they have a good idea, and then get able to get small batch of manufacturing and branding, everything, so, you can really really start now,” Kapoor said.

“That’s fuelling a flurry of new brands coming up with interesting products and branding,” he added.

Tier-2 and Tier-3 India Emerging as Growth Engine

Angad Kikla, CEO and founder of Citymall, said while much attention has been on 10-minute deliveries and urban D2C brands, the largest untapped opportunity lies in smaller towns and lower middle-income households.

“In this entire euphoria about 10-minute deliveries, fashion, D2C brands, etc, the largest market in India is low-middle-income people living in tier-2, tier-3, and tier-4 towns,” he said.

Kikla noted that grocery, which accounts for roughly 40% of household spending, remains under-penetrated in organised e-commerce models. “Also, the largest category, which is grocery comprising around 40% spending of a household, has been completely ignored. Maybe because infrastructure required to deliver a grocery order at the doorstep profitably has not been made. We (Citymall) have been trying to do that,” he said.

He also pointed to changing consumption patterns driven by digital content exposure. “In the low-middle-class consumer group, there is a lot of aspiration driven by the content proliferation. For example, on our platform, we see a lot of new categories like Korean Noodles, which is one of the largest growing categories being sold on our platform more than normal noodles,” Kikla said.

“So, a lot of aspiration is being driven by content. Our job is to make these aspirations affordable for these consumers,” he added.

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