Hollywood is rolling out the red carpet for Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
Rupert Murdoch will host a dinner for the Saudi leader on Monday night at his Bel Air estate, according to knowledgeable insiders. The guest list is filled with moguls and A-listers. Disney chief Bob Iger, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Jeff Shell, NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, and 21st Century Fox president Peter Rice. Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra was invited, but is out of town and will not attend. Other investors and media barons are expected to attend, but the dinner is being masked in secrecy.
A spokesman for 21st Century Fox, Murdoch’s media empire, declined to comment. The dinner will likely bring together Murdoch and Iger at a time when Disney is trying to wrap up its $52.4 billion purchase of the bulk of Fox’s film and television assets.
Bin Salman will also reportedly meet with WME CEO Ari Emanuel and Apple CEO Tim Cook during his trip to the West Coast. The move comes as Saudi Arabia is lifting a three-decade ban on movie theaters and ramping up its investments in media. The country is launching a $64 billion fund to support entertainment projects, with some $10 billion of that money earmarked for film investments. New movie theaters in Saudi Arabia could open as early as April.
Popular on Variety
The Crown Prince has been on a multi-city tour of the U.S. His trip has included an Oval Office sit down with President Donald Trump. CNN first reported the news of Murdoch’s dinner.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Meryl Streep to Star in Series Adaptation of ‘The Corrections’ From Jonathan Franzen, CBS Studios
Netflix vs. YouTube: The Post-Streaming Wars Era’s Archrivalry
Virtual Production Growth in Focus at IBC Event
Most Popular
Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…
Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’
‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker
‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)
Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…
Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’
‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’
Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Charli XCX Reveals Features for ‘Brat’ Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More
Indian King of Comedy Kapil Sharma, Star of Busan Film ‘Zwigato,’ Takes On Global Streaming With Hit Netflix Show (EXCLUSIVE)
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXKEjq2taKaVrMBwvtSpnKusXaLCs7DOnJ9mq5Gqsap5wKuYm6GRYrCzu9anZKmqmaOwpnnDoqWnnaJifnN8kXBraW5hZnw%3D