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Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang will be presenting at the 2025 Oscars, the Academy announced on Tuesday. They join last year’s acting winners Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Emma Stone in handing out statuettes on March 2, when the 97th Academy Awards take place at the Dolby Theatre Ovation Hollywood, hosted by Conan O’Brien.

As previously announced, the show will see the return of the “Fab 5” format, where previous winners stand on stage and heap praise on each of this year’s nominees. In the past, the format has been used for the acting categories, but not this year, given the implosion of “Emilia Pérez” lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s campaign due to her history of bigoted tweets. Instead, five previous winners will assemble to highlight below-the-line talent.

The 97th Academy Awards...

Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor, who also serves as showrunner, and Katy Mullan revealed the members of the production team for the 97th ceremony, which will be hosted by Conan O’Brien Sunday, March 2.

Rob Paine returns as co-executive producer and Taryn Hurd as do producers Sarah Levine Hall. Supervising choreographer Mandy Moore and lighting designers Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz also rejoin the team. Producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will be first-time team members.

Writers for this year’s show include Amberia Allen, José Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Berkley Johnson, Ian Karmel, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Conan O’Brien, Matt O’Brien, Agathe Panaretos and Mike Sweeney.

As previously announced, the show’s production team also includes director Hamish Hamilton, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, and music director Michael Bearden.

The 2025 Academy Awards will take place March 2 at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood.

The Oscars have revealed key members of the production team for the 2025 awards ceremony, airing on March 2.

Executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan announced on Monday that Rob Paine will return as co-executive producer and Taryn Hurd and Sarah Levine Hall will return as producers. All three won Emmys back in September for their work on the 2024 Oscars.

Mandy Moore will be supervising choreographer, having performed the role last year. Not to be confused with the singer, Moore’s credits include “La La Land,” Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, “Dancing with the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” She won Emmys for the latter three.

Veteran lighting designers Robert Dickinson (68-time Emmy nominee and 18-time winner) and Noah Mitz (30-time Emmy nominee and two-time winner) also rejoin the team.

Producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney, who have worked with O...

The Academy has named its production team for the 97th Academy Awards ceremony.

Rob Paine is set to return as co-executive producer, and Taryn Hurd and Sarah Levine Hall return as producers. Also rejoining the team are Mandy Moore as the show’s supervising choreographer, and Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz as lighting designers. Producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney join the team for the first time.

Moore is no stranger to the Oscar space. Last year, she was behind the choreography of Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance.

This year’s host, Conan O’Brien, is also on the team of writers. Rounding out the team are Amberia Allen, José Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Berkley Johnson, Ian Karmel, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Matt O’Brien, Agathe Panaretos and Mike Sweeney

The show’s production team also includes director Hamish Hamilton,...

With less than a month to go until the 97th Academy Awards, the show’s executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan have announced the members of their production team for the telecast, which will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. The 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt.

Returning to the telecast are Rob Paine as co-executive producer, Taryn Hurd and Sarah Levine Hall as producers, Mandy Moore as supervising choreographer and Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz as lighting designer.

Producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney are joining the team for the first time.

Joining O’Brien as writers for the show: Amberia Allen, José Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Berkley Johnson, Ian Karmel, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin,Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Matt O’Brien, Agathe Panaretos and Mike Sweeney.

To celebrate the animated film’s 30th anniversary, “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl” will premiere on Disney+ Feb. 7.

The live-to-film concert special will showcase how the team behind the event transformed the Hollywood Bowl into the Pride Lands for a one-night-only extravaganza.

Original voice cast members, including Lebo M (opening chant), Jeremy Irons (Scar), Nathan Lane (Timon), Jason Weaver (Simba), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa) and Billy Eichner, teamed up with stage musical alumni Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson to celebrate the legacy of the 1999 film. Special guest North West made her stage debut as young Simba and Egot winner Jennifer Hudson performed “Circle of Life.”

Performers were accompanied by a 70-person orchestra, a troupe of skillful dancers and captivating projection mapping images. Puppetry from the Broadway show also gave viewers a glimpse into the evolution of the Disney classic. Stage projections brought in audiences at the Hollywood Bowl and...

The Lion King fans are in for the time of their lives when February 7 arrives. Disney has announced that a new concert special, The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, celebrating the legacy of its Academy Award-winning animated classic, is coming to Disney+ on that date.

Per Deadline, the Hollywood Bowl will be transformed into the Pride Lands for the immersive concert that will honor The Lion King's 30th anniversary. The event will feature a reunion of the original The Lion King voice cast alongside performances by the Broadway adaptation's cast members. Headlining the performances are Jeremy Irons, Lebo M, Nathan Lane, Jason Weaver, Ernie Sabella, and Billy Eichner, with the Lion King stage musical alums Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson appearing with special guests North West and Jennifer Hudson.

RelatedThe Acolyte Viewership Data Hints at Biggest Reason for Star Wars Show's Cancelation

A 2024 film and television report reveals...

The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl celebrates the enduring legacy of “The Lion King” in a concert special coming to Disney+ on Friday, February 7, 2025. Today, Disney debuted the trailer and key art for the release.

This live-to-film concert experience includes epic performances with a 70-person orchestra, a troupe of skillful dancers, state-of-the-art projection mapping images, and the Broadway show’s award-winning costumes and puppetry giving viewers across the globe a front-row seat to the unprecedented musical extravaganza celebrating the world of The Lion King.

In honor of The Lion King‘s 30th Anniversary, the Hollywood Bowl transformed into the Pride Lands for an immersive concert event featuring a reunion of the original voice cast alongside performances by cast members of the iconic Broadway show.

Starring Lebo M, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Jason Weaver, Ernie Sabella, Billy Eichner, and stage musical alumni Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson, with special guests...

Disney announced on Thursday that The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, a new concert special celebrating the legacy of its Academy Award-winning animated classic The Lion King, is coming to Disney+ on Friday, February 7. Check out a new trailer above.

In honor of The Lion King‘s 30th anniversary, the Hollywood Bowl transformed into the Pride Lands for an immersive concert event featuring a reunion of the original voice cast alongside performances by cast members of the Broadway adaptation. Lebo M, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Jason Weaver, Ernie Sabella and Billy Eichner headlined the performance, with Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson — alums of the Lion King stage musical — also making appearances, along with special guests North West and Egot winner Jennifer Hudson.

The live-to-film concert experience features a 70-person orchestra, a troupe of skillful dancers, state-of-the-art projection mapping images, and the Broadway show’s award-winning costumes and puppetry. It was produced by Disney Concerts,...

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang announced today that the Emmy-winning team behind last year’s Oscars will return in 2025. Raj Kapoor is back as executive producer and showrunner, with Katy Mullan serving as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton directing. It is Kapoor and Mullan’s second time to executive produce and Hamilton’s fifth time directing the Oscars. The 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on March 25, 2025 at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. Et/3:30 p.m. Pt.

The talented creative team also returns from the 96th Oscars, including production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, who won Emmys for their work in 2024, and red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin. Music director Michael Bearden joins the team for the first time, replacing three-time Emmy winner (including one for...

The 97th Academy Awards team is coming together — and three of them are Emmy-winning veterans of the 96th Oscars. Raj Kapoor returns as executive producer and showrunner, joined by fellow EP Katy Mullan and director Hamish Hamilton, who will be back for the fifth time.

Further veterans of the Academy Awards who round out the 2025 creative team include production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley and red carpet show EP David Chamberlin. Michael Bearden, meanwhile, will make his debut as music director.

In a Monday statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said, “We are delighted to announce the return of our incredibly dynamic and creative Oscars team, Raj, Katy, Hamish, Misty, Alana and Dave. And we are thrilled to announce the addition of the brilliant Michael Bearden. Their love for cinema, their collective creative vision and their unparalleled expertise in live television make them the perfect...

The Academy has named Raj Kapoor to return as executive producer and showrunner for the 97th Oscars, CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang announced Monday Katy Mullan will be back as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton returns as director.

It’s Kapoor and Mullan’s second time as executive producers and Hamilton’s fifth time directing the Oscars, which air March 2 on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Also returning are production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, who won an Emmy for last year’s show, and red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin.

Joining the team for the first time is music director Michael Bearden. Bearden was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction for the Super Bowl Li Halftime Show featuring Lady Gaga and “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” and has served as a music director for the Primetime Emmys and Grammy Awards.

Well, this was no surprise.

As I predicted in my column a couple of weeks ago on the search for a host for the 97th annual Academy Awards, the producing team from the 96th Oscars will be back for the 2025 ceremony.

Live television event producer Raj Kapoor returns as executive producer and showrunner, Katy Mullan as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton as director of the 97th Oscars, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said Monday. It is Kapoor and Mullan’s second time executive producing and Hamilton’s fifth time directing the Oscars. They each won an Emmy for their work on the 96th Oscars, the first time since 1991 that the Academy Awards took the Live Variety Emmy, so their return is really a no-brainer and will allow the Academy to get that much closer to announcing a host (or hosts) for the show.

As I reported,...

The principal creative team behind the strongly-rated and Emmy-winning 96th Oscars telecast — minus its host, Jimmy Kimmel, and his personal producer and wife, Molly McNearney — are returning for the 97th Oscars telecast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday.

For the Sunday, March 2, 2025 broadcast on ABC, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will be back as executive producers — Kapoor will also be showrunner — and Hamish Hamilton will once again serve as director, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a statement.

This will be Kapoor and Mullan’s second time and Hamilton’s fifth time in these positions.

A host for the 97th Oscars has yet to be announced.

Much of the rest of the creative team from the 96th Oscars will also be back for the 97th, including production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley (who won Emmys for their work on the...

Fresh off the telecast’s first Emmy win for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), the Oscars will once again be helmed by executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, with the former also returning as showrunner, and Hamish Hamilton back as the director of the 2025 Academy Awards.

The award-winning producers will have several members of their 2024 team back with them for the 2025 broadcast, including production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, who also won Emmys for their work on the 96th Oscars, and red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin. They will all be joined by Michael Bearden, who will be serving as music director of the Oscars for the first time.

Notably missing is the head writer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Molly McNearney, who told IndieWire in August that she and partner Jimmy Kimmel pulled away from being executive producers of the Oscars again in order to focus on covering...

Programs like Welcome to Wrexham and Jim Henson Idea Man swept night one of the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, while Alan Cumming won his first Emmy for emceeing The Traitors and Pat Sajak took home his final trophy for hosting Wheel of Fortune.

Both men were no-shows, though.

Jeopardy! won for best game show while Shark Tank picked up its fifth Emmy in the structured reality show category. And John Mulaney’s memorable appearance on My Next Guest with David Letterman earned a trophy in the hosted nonfiction series or special category.

Attagirls went to Maya Rudolph for voicing Big Mouth and Angela Bassett for narrating Queens, while multiple Emmys were bestowed upon Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden. Saturday Night Live won a leading six trophies on the first night, held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live.

In addition, a jubilant Dick Van Dyke...

And we’re back! Just a few months after the 2023 Emmy Awards were held after a strike-related delay comes the 2024 Emmy Awards and a full weekend dedicated to the Creative Arts Emmys on September 7 and September 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live. An edited version of both ceremonies will air on Fxx at 11 p.m. Et on September 14 and stream on Hulu from September 15 through October 9.

Presenters over both nights included Olympian B-Boy Victor Montalvo, Mike Birbiglia, Nikki Glaser, Lucy Liu, Jane Lynch, Tig Notaro, Fisher Stevens, and Hannah Waddingham.

Nominated shows include perpetual heavy-hitters “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Morning Show,” and “The Crown,” although based on the technical categories, it’s “The Bear” and Shōgun that have the momentum — the FX series have hauled in 21 wins between them.

During the September 7 ceremony, “Beckham” won Outstanding Documentary Series and “Blue Eye Samurai” scored an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program,...

“Saturday Night Live” ended Night 1 of the 76th Creative Arts Emmys with the most awards (six), including Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series, which went to Liz Patrick, who directed the episode hosted by Ryan Gosling. That episode, which featured the now famous Beavis and Butt-Head sketch, also won hairstyling and makeup. NBC’s sketch-comedy institution — the winningest show in Emmy history with 93 victories — also triumphed in production design, lighting design and technical direction.

“Jim Henson Idea Man” was another big winner Saturday night, picking up four awards. The Disney + documentary directed by Ron Howard about the creator of the Muppets took home Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special, in addition to trophies for music composition, sound editing and picture editing.

NBC’s 2024 Oscars telecast tied “Jim Henson Idea Man,” as did Netflix’s rapturously reviewed “Blue Eye Samurai” (including previously announced juried awards), which came up tops for animated program,...

Producer Ben Winston made the Los Angeles look so good in November 2021 when he steered the “Adele: One Night Only” concert special for CBS that he was the obvious choice for the job of producing the Paris-to-l.A. handoff moment for Sunday’s Summer Games Closing Ceremony.

Typically, the handoff from one host city to the next is done at the same venue as the Closing Ceremony. Winston, a 13-time Emmy winner with a flair for live TV and spectacle, had bigger plans as soon as he got the call from LA28 leaders in January 2022. To Winston, it didn’t make sense to do it all in Paris given the moment’s rich potential to become a transcontinental live TV stunt stretching from the City of Light to the City of Angels.

The idea for what to do with 12 minutes of TV time watched by tens of millions of people...

North West, the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, has joined the cast of Disney’s “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl,” a live concert event that will be filmed across two performances and released as a special on Disney+.

West is set to star alongside previously announced cast members Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Billy Eichner, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jennifer Hudson and Bradley GIbson. Broadway actress Heather Headley and Lebo M. round out the cast.

The shows will take place on May 24 and 25 in celebration of “The Lion King’s” 30th anniversary.

Disney Branded Television and Fulwell 73 Productions are on board to produce the show along with Amp Worldwide and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva. The performances will be captured for a Disney+ Original special “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl,” set to stream at a later date.

The special will celebrate the 30-year evolution of “The Lion King,...

North West, Broadway’s Heather Headley and Grammy winner Lebo M. have been added to the cast of Disney’s The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film Concert Event, a musical concert set to run May 24-25 at the Hollywood Bowl.

They join previously announced cast and franchise veterans Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane and special guest Jennifer Hudson for the two-night event, which will feature a full orchestra performing Hans Zimmer’s Oscar-winning score. The cast will perform songs and numbers featuring the Broadway show’s costumes, set design and puppetry.

Disney Concerts and Fulwell 73 Productions along with Amp Worldwide and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva, the team behind Disney’s Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl (four Emmy noms) and the Emmy-winning Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, are producing the events. The footage will become part of a Disney+ Original special,...

Oscar producers Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan, Molly McNearney and Rob Paine, as well as music director Rickey Minor are days away from the 96th Academy Awards.

But they took time out on Wednesday afternoon to share insight into what to expect from Sunday’s ceremony. In a conversation moderated by Jacqueline Coley, Awards Editor at Rotten Tomatoes, Kapoor said this year’s theme is “human connection, emotion, inspiration and creativity.”

A major highlight that has both fans and producers excited is the news of five former winners presenting to the five nominees. The idea was inspired by Bill Condon when he produced the 81st Academy Awards. Kapoor said the team had done a deep dive into past ceremonies and that stuck with them the most. Said Kapoor, “It was this lovely storytelling and again it came down to connection. It was past winners speaking to present nominees and that lovely connection and that human interaction.

As the Oscars continue to evolve under the watch of Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang, a new trio of executive producers have been tasked with making Hollywood’s biggest night one that millions of viewers will remember.

Though showrunner Raj Kapoor and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” head writer Molly McNearney are no strangers to producing the Academy Awards, having worked on last year’s broadcast, this year Kramer and Yang bypassed 2023 Oscar producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner in favor of their own homegrown team.

“There is no expectation that you continually work on the show, because things change and evolve,” said five-year Oscar show veteran Kapoor to IndieWire during a Zoom joined by his new colleagues. “This is the next evolution, the three of us coming together. We are the trifecta this year.”

All three hail from TV, continuing the move away from Oscars past, when different...

The writing team has been set for the 96th Oscars, which air March 10 on ABC hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

The group of scribes tasked with writing the show includes Jamie Abrahams, Rory Albanese, Amberia Allen, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Bryan Cook, Blaire Erskine, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Kimmel, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Mitch Marchand, Greg Martin, Jesse McLaren, McNearney, Keaton Patti, Danny Ricker, Louis Virtel and Troy Walker.

The names were announced Friday by Oscarcast executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producers Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan.

They join a production team first rolled out in October that includes Hamish Hamilton as director, creative director Kenny Gravillis, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, and red carpet creative consultants Lisa Love and Raul Avila.

Today, the EPs also said several others have been...

Raj Kapoor, the executive producer and showrunner of The Oscars, and executive producers Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan announced members of their production team for this year’s awards show, which will take place on March 10.

Rob Paine will return as co-executive producer, while Taryn Hurd will return as talent producer. Producers Sarah Levine Hall, Erin Irwin and Jennifer Sharron, as well as music director Rickey Minor and lightning designers Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz are also rejoining the team.

Jamie Abrahams, Rory Albanese, Amberia Allen, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Bryan Cook, Blaire Erskine, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Kimmel, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Mitch Marchand, Greg Martin, Jesse McLaren, McNearney, Keaton Patti, Danny Ricker, Louis Virtel and Troy Walker are writers for this year’s show.

Previously announced members of the production team include director Hamish Hamilton and production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley.

Meredith Hama-Brown’s feature debut “Seagrass,” starring Ally Maki, will debut in U.S. theaters on Feb. 22, beginning with special screenings with the cast and director.

Q&a’s will be held at New York’s Roxy Cinema and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Royal on Feb. 22 and Las Vegas’ Regal Theatre on Feb. 23. Maki will be in Los Angeles, Hama-Brown and cinematographer Norm Li will be in New York, and actor Chris Pang will be in Las Vegas. The film will also have its U.S. festival premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, screening on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13.

The synopsis for “Seagrass” reads, “Set in the mid 1990’s, a Japanese Canadian woman (Maki) grappling with the recent death of her mother brings her family to a self-development retreat. When her distressed relationship with her husband begins to affect the children’s emotional security, the family is forever changed.”

In addition to Maki and Pang,...

Emmy Award winner Jimmy Kimmel is back as the host for the upcoming 2024 Oscars ceremony, marking the late-night star’s fourth time fronting the show. Emmy nominee Molly McNearney will also return to serve as an executive producer for the second consecutive year in a row.

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host previously led the 2017, 2018 and 2023 telecasts. The 2017 ceremony produced the now infamous “La La Land” and “Moonlight” best picture screw-up. Kimmel will now sit alongside other four-peaters such as Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon. The only people to host more times are Johnny Carson (5), Billy Crystal (9) and Bob Hope (11).

“I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” said Kimmel in a statement. McNearney adding that she’s “especially honored to be part of the Oscars team this year.”

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

“We are thrilled about Jimmy returning to...

The Oscars have announced Raj Kapoor as executive producer and showrunner of its next awards show.Organisers of the 96th Academy Awards, while will air live on Sunday, 10 March, 2024, from LA’s Dolby Theatre have also said Katy Mullan will be executive producer, while the ceremony will be directed by Hamish Hamilton.It will be Hamish’s fourth time at the helm of the event, and Raj has worked on the show for the past seven years and most recently served as producer for the 95th Oscars. Raj and Katy said: “As a Canadian boy of South Asian descent and a girl from London who grew up watching the Oscars, dreaming of being part of it, this is a ‘pinch me’ moment!“This has been an exceptional year for the movies, and it’s an absolute privilege to be leading the team celebrating the global film industry and the astounding...

Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan (Photo Credit: Michael Higgins)

Emmy Award winner Raj Kapoor will make his Oscars showrunner debut with the 2024 show. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Oscars veteran Kapoor will step up into the showrunner job with the 96th Academy Awards after seven years working on the broadcast.

Kapoor will also executive produce along with Katy Mullan, and Hamish Hamilton will return for his fourth time to direct the awards show. 2023’s Oscars creative director Kenny Gravillis, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, and red carpet creative consultants Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila join Kapoor, Hamish, and Mullan for the 2024 Oscars.

“Raj and Hamish have been incredible Oscars collaborators, and we are delighted to welcome them and Katy to lead the 96th Oscars,” stated Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “Their deep love of cinema,...

The Academy has announced Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan as the executive producers shepherding the 2024 Oscars. Kapoor will additionally serve as showrunner with Hamish Hamilton stepping in as director of the 96th Oscars. It will be Kapoor and Mullan’s first time to executive produce and Hamilton’s fourth time directing the Oscars. Kapoor notably worked on the show the past seven years, with this new post being a promotion from the producer position he most recently served for the 95th Oscars. The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Below the line, much of the team from the 2023 Oscars are returning to help produce the upcoming show, including creative director Kenny Gravillis, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, and red carpet creative consultants Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila.

“Raj and Hamish have been incredible Oscars collaborators,...

The Oscars have announced Raj Kapoor as executive producer and showrunner, Katy Mullan as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton as the director of the 96th Oscars.

It will be Hamilton’s fourth time directing the ceremony, while Kapoor has worked on the show for the past seven years and most recently served as producer for the 95th Oscars.

“Raj and Hamish have been incredible Oscars collaborators, and we are delighted to welcome them and Katy to lead the 96th Oscars,” said Bill Kramer, Academy CEO and Janet Yang, Academy President. “Their deep love of cinema, fresh vision, and tremendous live television expertise is perfect for our reinvigorated show.”

“Having worked with Raj, Katy and Hamish on many special and memorable projects over the years, we have full confidence in their vision for the 96th Oscars,” said Rob Mills, executive vice president, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television.

“As a...

Oscar will welcome back several familiar faces as the 96th ceremony steams along, with Emmy-winning TV producer Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan tapped as showrunner and executive producer, and director Hamish Hamilton returning to direct for the fourth time, with an aim to broadcast the live telecast in over 200 countries worldwide.

Much of the creative team behind the 2022 fete will be back for more, including creative director Kenny Gravillis, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, and red carpet creative consultants Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila.

“Raj and Hamish have been incredible collaborators, and we are delighted to welcome them and Katy to lead the 96th Oscars,” Academy CEO and president Bill Kramer and Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “Their deep love of cinema, fresh vision, and tremendous live television expertise is perfect for our reinvigorated show. We’re excited to...

Hollywood still has a bit of work to do before the 2024 Oscars are actually within grasp, but the Academy and telecast partner ABC just cleared a few of the annual hurdles to ensure a live show — setting a producing team, a returning director and a first-time showrunner.

Live TV and go-to Las Vegas residency producer Raj Kapoor, who’s worked on the Academy Awards telecast for the last seven years, has been named showrunner and executive producer for the first time. He assumes the role after collecting a sprawling list of TV credits, including work on the Grammys, the Emmys and quite a few Disney-branded live celebrations.

Joining Kapoor as a first-time Oscar executive producer is Katy Mullan, who comes from live TV production house Mullan Done + Dusted. The British outfit has done everything from producing the Olympics to virtual specials in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Together,...

The Oscars have their team in place and it is a mix of past and present in terms of production teams, but AMPAS is clearly sticking with putting experienced live television professionals in charge.

Raj Kapoor, who has worked on the Oscars for the past seven years including last year as a producer will serve for the first time as Executive Producer and Showrunner. He will be joined by Done + Dusted veteran executive Katy Mullan as Executive Producer, the latter a first-timer to the Academy Awards.

Hamish Hamilton joins the team as director, his fourth time helming the show which will be held on Sunday, March 10, and broadcast live on ABC.

Joining Kapoor, Mullan and Hamilton to help shape the vision and direction of the 96th Oscars, are creative director Kenny Gravillis, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, and red carpet creative...

Disney+ announced that new original special “Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl,” with an introduction by Lin-Manuel Miranda, will launch Wednesday, Dec. 28, on the streamer. The two-night concert event will take place at the Hollywood Bowl on November 11 and 12. The special comes from Disney Branded Television and will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions.

The original voice cast of “Encanto” will reunite at the Bowl, including Stephanie Beatriz (as Mirabel), Adassa (as Dolores), Carolina Gaitán (as Pepa), Jessica Darrow (as Luisa), Diane Guerrero (as Isabela), Mauro Castillo (as Félix), Angie Cepeda (as Julieta) and Olga Merediz (as Abuela Alma). The event will also feature special guests, including Colombian stars Carlos Vives and Andrés Cepeda. The live-to-film concert experience, including an 80-person orchestra, 50 dancers and special effects, will center on the characters and songs of Disney Animation’s “Encanto.”

“Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl” will be directed by Chris Howe and Jamal Sims...

All-member meeting discussed new revenue streams, reverence for cinema.

Academy leadership are exploring potential streaming extensions to the Oscars telecast as they seek to reinvigorate the show.

New CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang told an all-members meeting over the weekend (September 17) they want to honour all crafts categories on air – the Academy spared a minor scandal when it presented eight craft category winners off air at the 94th ceremony – focus on love and reverence for film, and make the red carpet an event in and of itself.

They also announced that Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will produce...

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will produce the 95th Oscars telecast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Saturday.

The announcement was made at the beginning of a meeting open to all Academy members, the first time in eight years that AMPAS has conducted such a forum. The hiring of Weiss and Kirshner means that the upcoming Oscars ceremony, which will take place on March 12, 2023, will be the first with a producing team whose experience does not include a substantial amount of work in film.

Weiss, who will also direct the Oscars, for the eighth consecutive year, is a director and producer who known for his work on live telecasts like the Oscars, the Tonys and the Kennedy Center Honors. Kirshner has won nine Emmys for his live telecasts, including the Tony Awards, the Emmys, the last eight Democratic Conventions and 14 Super Bowl halftime shows.

In the past,...

In an effort to get the Oscar telecast back on track, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday announced that awards show and live television veterans Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will produce the 95th annual Academy Awards, which will air on ABC on March 12, 2023.

Ever since he was named CEO in the spring, Bill Kramer has indicated that the Academy would look to hiring top TV professionals with vast experience, rather than going in past directions in hiring primarily producers who were better known for their work in film rather than staging live television. Recent producers have included Steven Soderbergh in 2021, and last year Will Packer, who ran the infamous show with “the slap” that overshadowed everything else.

From The Nooks And Crannies Of Saturday’s Academy Meeting, A Swirl of Detail

Weiss will also direct the show, something he has done consecutively done for the past seven years,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not have to look too far to find the new producers of the Academy Awards.

On Saturday, the organization’s CEO Bill Kramer announced that Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment have been named executive producers of the 95th Oscars, which will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Not only has Weiss produced the show once before, he has been directing the awards telecast for eight years and counting, netting him two Emmys for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. It will, however, be Kirshner’s first time producing the Oscars, but bringing in the pair from White Cherry Entertainment delivers on Kramer’s promises to find collaborators this year who are experts in live television event production.

“We are thrilled to have Glenn and Ricky at the helm,” said Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang via statement.

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will serve as executive producers of the 95th Oscars, which will take place in March 2023. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer announced the producing duo, both of White Cherry Entertainment, on Saturday morning.

Along with producing, Weiss will serve as director for the ceremony for an eighth consecutive year. The 2023 Oscars will mark Weiss’ second time and Kirshner’s first time producing the Academy Awards. The two were tapped by the Academy as part of “a focus on expertise in live television event production.”

“We are thrilled to have Glenn and Ricky at the helm,” Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “We look forward to working closely with them, our Board of Governors and the Board’s Awards Committee to deliver an exciting and energized show.”

“Bill made us ‘an offer we couldn’t refuse,'...

A sequence from an upcoming “Peaky Blinders” stage show and a performance from legendary local band UB40 are amongst the highlights of closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The sequence from U.K.-wide theater show “Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby,” will be staged at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on Aug. 8, with a special performance of a newly-commissioned track from Laura Mvula, inspired by Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand,” which is used as the TV show’s theme song. Written and adapted for the stage by creator Steven Knight, and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s artistic director Benoit Swan Pouffer, the theater production will receive its world premiere at Birmingham Hippodrome on Sept. 27 as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Under the guidance of creative directors Amber Rimell and Bronski from Tawbox, the ceremony will showcase the region’s musical talent past, present and future,...

On The Little Mermaid Live!, production designer Misty Buckley offered up a fresh visual take on a classic fairy tale, aiming to transport viewers into an underwater world, with sets designed for the stage.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Disney’s animated film, the live musical special intercut footage from that beloved Oscar winner with fantastical live-action sequences, filmed within a theatre in the round. Using the 1989 film as a starting point for her designs, the production designer’s goal with the special was then to elevate it with a sense of “otherworldy theatricality.”

Below, the first-time Emmy nominee reflects on building a “sunken theater” for the live TV musical, and the logistics involved in pulling it off.

Deadline: How did you get involved with The Little Mermaid Live!? What excited you about designing it?

Misty Buckley: I was invited to work on the project by Hamish Hamilton, director and producer,...

Updated With Winners: Chernobyl was the big winner at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards on Friday after the Sky and HBO drama scooped seven awards.

The Sister-produced nuclear disaster series beat competition from the likes of The Crown, Killing Eve and The Virtues at the pre-recorded ceremony, triumphing in categories including Director: Fiction for Johan Renck. Other wins included best Production Design and Editing: Fiction.

Elsewhere, other winners included Jesse Armstrong, who took home best Writer: Drama for Succession, while Jamie Demetriou scooped best Writer: Comedy for Stath Lets Flats. This Was Up creator Aisling Bea won the Breakthrough Talent gong. BBC and HBO drama His Dark Materials won in two categories: Special, Visual and Graphic Effects, and Titles and Graphic Identity.

The BAFTA TV Craft Awards was one of the industry’s first major awards ceremonies of the pandemic era. The event, which celebrated the best of British TV’s behind-the-scenes talent,...

Production designers build immersive worlds for audiences to vicariously live in, but the fulfilling part of the job may be before any sketches or models.

“What I hope in my design is I get to learn something every time,” “Westworld’s” Howard Cummings said on Gold Derby’s Meet the Btl Experts: Production Design panel (watch above). “When you do the research, certainly that is really fun because I know so much random stuff — I know how fishermen store fish and things like that or unfortunately things like mortuaries and prisons. You don’t get jobs like that in the real world that you’re just constantly learning. For me, the thing I love the most about it is the learning of it all.”

“Couples Therapy’s” Nora Mendis concurs: “I just love doing all the research and building the world from scratch. It’s just fun. You just have...

“The Little Mermaid Live!” gave a whole new meaning to “Part of Your World.” A hybrid spectacle, the ABC musical special merged the animated Disney classic with live productions of the film’s famous songs, creating an immersive experience for fans at home and in the theater. And production designer Misty Buckley knew she could not turn down this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

“When they asked me to do it, it was just a no-brainer,” she told Gold Derby at our Meet the Btl Experts: Production Design panel (watch above). “It was just such an incredible invitation to do something to take something so narrative-based and so beautiful and whimsical, so it was a really exciting invitation.”

“The Little Mermaid Live!” was the first live narrative TV musical for Buckley, who has designed concert sets for the likes of Coldplay (including its Super Bowl halftime show), U2, Kacey Musgraves and Ariana Grande,...

Four of TV’s top production designers will reveal the secrets behind their success when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Btl Experts” Q&a event with key 2020 Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published soon: one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the designers together.

SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders

This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:

Misty Buckley represents Disney/ABC for “The Little Mermaid Live”

Buckley is primarily known for her design work on live programs and special events, including “Not the Robbie Williams Christmas Show,” “The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show,” “The Brit Awards” and “Ariana Grande at the BBC.”

Howard Cummings represents HBO for “Westworld”

Cummings is a two-time Emmy winner for “The Knick” and “Behind the Candelabra” among his four nominations. He...

The live television musical is a genre that has seen great evolution over the years. Some productions have employed inside/outside settings, while others have incorporated 360-degree oners, and many have created immersive experiences where the audience is part of the production. For ABC’s first foray into this special area of artistry, it is upping the ante further: “The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live” mixes live-action song-and-dance numbers featuring puppetry, aerial work and live animals with the animation of the 30-year-old classic film.

“Everybody wanted to do something a little different,” executive producer Raj Kapoor tells Variety. “We had this whole creative team that comes from a vast range of experiences, and everyone wanted to put their own spin on it because we see this as blending the theatrical version with the feature film version with a live awards show meeting elements of the Super Bowl.