Mohamed Al Fayed considers Pinewood Shepperton bid....

[julian_craster]

Mohamed Al Fayed considers Pinewood Shepperton bid
Former Harrods owner mulls challenge to approach from Peel Holdings, which would value film and TV studios at £88m


See:
Mohamed Al Fayed considers Pinewood Shepperton bid | Media | guardian.co.uk


Would this be good for the UK/tv industry ?

I think I prefer loveable Michael Grade....

[Steve Crook]

Will he put a statue of Michael Jackson outside it, like he did at Fulham - even though Jackson has nothing to do with either place?

This is just gossip, so far. Note the word "considers". The Gruaniad pulled it from another site where it was even more speculative.
It's probably just Mohamed Fayed (the "Al" is a self-imposed honorific he isn't entitled to) trying to spread stories to convince the people he owes billions to that he's still solvent

Steve

[alan french]

Hi,
I am not sure. He is a slick business man. But does he know about the film business? If so, this would be an advantage. But if not, I would be concerned. I know that sometimes, the business side can clash with people who understand the genre. For example, sponsors can dictate who should appear in a production. To speed up output, more than one team of special effects people may work on a film. If their methods are not compatible, it may pose problems and interfere with quality. If someone understands the film and television industry, they might be able to combine their knowledge of both commerce and understanding of what film making entails, and in theory, be able to be a benefit to all. In this case I am not so sure. In fact, I am surprised he is interested.

Alan French.

[Mr Sloane]

Mohamed Al Fayed considers Pinewood Shepperton bid
Former Harrods owner mulls challenge to approach from Peel Holdings, which would value film and TV studios at £88m


See:
Mohamed Al Fayed considers Pinewood Shepperton bid | Media | guardian.co.uk


.

Fugging Hell

[CaptainWaggett]

Well, his son was in film production

[Kitty Whiskers]

If it is true, I imagine it'll be some sort of son-related reason.

[julian_craster]

Pinewood Shepperton back £96m takeover offer
By Graeme Evans, PA

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Pinewood Shepperton back £96m takeover offer - Business News, Business - The Independent


Pinewood Shepperton, the owner of film studios used for the James Bond and Harry Potter movies, gave its backing today to an improved £96 million takeover offer from the owner of the new Salford Quays media development.

Property and infrastructure firm Peel Holdings already owns almost 30% of Pinewood and has increased its offer by around £8 million in the face of rival takeover interest from former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed.

The board of Pinewood, led by former ITV chairman Michael Grade, said Peel had been a supportive shareholder and the takeover proposal provided the business with the long-term stability it needed.

The 75-year-old business is planning an ambitious £20 million Project Pinewood expansion at its studios in Buckinghamshire that will see it build new facilities and sets on a par with those found in Hollywood.

Its television studios have shot Dancing On Ice, Dragons' Den, BBC sitcom My Family, Piers Morgan's Life Stories and entertainment show Ant & Dec's Push The Button.

Peel said it expected Pinewood to operate independently of its own media assets, which include the new home for the BBC, ITV, Coronation Street and the University of Salford at the MediaCityUK development at Salford Quays.

The group invests in infrastructure, transport and real estate in the UK and has nearly £6 billion of assets. It recently sold the Trafford Centre to Capital Shopping Centres for £1.6 billion and is chaired by billionaire investor John Whittaker.

[alan french]

Hi,
Thankyou for the information. At this stage, I obviously do not know if this is good or bad. But it does look impressive on paper. But the proof in the pudding is in the eating.

Alan French.