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According to Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, working with host Conan O’Brien at the 2025 Academy Awards far exceeded expectations.

“He nailed a whole opening monologue with all of these incredible jokes. Then he tap-danced, accompanied by a sandworm, and opened the show. I mean, he did it all — and that was just in Act 1,” says Mullan.

The producing duo, both Emmy winners, are thrilled to be teaming up with O’Brien again for the 2026 Oscars. From their very first meeting, they say, it was clear a special creative partnership was forming.

“It was kind of magic from the moment that Conan walked in,” Kapoor tells Gold Derby. “We had an amazing lunch and the conversation didn’t stop. And we knew we were on a great path.”

Kapoor and Mullan also recalled the unforeseen emotional weight of the 2025 broadcast. In the days leading up to the show,...

Exclusive: EverWonder Studio, the company that produced Netflix’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, is making some big-name hires.

The business, which was founded by former Time exec Ian Orefice and backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird Imi, has hired a slew of key execs including former ABC unscripted exec Tiffany Faigus and MSNBC’s Amanda Spain.

Faigus has been named EVP and Executive Producer of the company. She was previously SVP, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, ABC Entertainment and Walt Disney Television Alternative, where she was one of Rob Mills’ key lieutenants. She left last year as Disney merged ABC and Hulu’s unscripted programming teams and underwent layoffs.

Faigus had been with ABC since 2015. She was promoted in 2021, having previously been VP Alternative Series and Specials, taking on a new role that encompassed both the network and the unscripted studio side of the business at Walt Disney Television Alternative.

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...

Exclusive: The details of Disney’s Entertainment Television’s latest round of layoffs are starting to emerge.

Deadline understands that the company is combining the unscripted teams at ABC Entertainment and Hulu. The move was made by Rob Mills, EVP Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment at Walt Disney Television.

As a result, two of the unscripted team’s senior vice presidents are exiting as part of the layoffs.

We hear that Tiffany Faigus, who is SVP Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, ABC Entertainment and Walt Disney Television Alternative, and Belisa Balaban, SVP Original Documentaries and Unscripted Series, Hulu Originals, are out.

Faigus has been with ABC since 2015. She was promoted in 2021, having previously been VP Alternative Series and Specials, taking on a new role that encompassed both the network and the unscripted studio side of the business at Walt Disney Television Alternative. Faigus has worked on shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,...

Earlier this year, a number of actors were questioning their life choices after answering an add to work at a Willy Wonka experience in Scotland. Organizers advertised it as an “immersive experience” that would transport Willy Wonka fans to a “magical realm.” They used lush, AI-generated art helped lure patrons to the event, which turned out to be anything but magical. The experience was housed at a shabby warehouse that was so depressing it earned comparisons to a meth lab, and it ultimately made international headlines for just how bad it was.

Now, songwriter Riki Lindhome is questioning the life choices of one of the actors involved in a new track for Willy’s Candy Spectacular, an upcoming parody of that disastrous, Fyre Fest-style Willy Wonka event. In the song (below), Lindhome channels the experience of Kirsty Paterson, who played the sad Oompah Loompa in the real viral experience and...

Actor and musician John Stamos is known for lending his talents to bands like The Beach Boys, but now he’s going in a very different direction. Stamos has recorded a song for Willy’s Candy Spectacular, an upcoming live musical that takes inspiration from a disastrous Willy Wonka-inspired event in Scotland earlier this year. He sings on a new track the production released Monday.

The event that inspired the musical made headlines after it used lush, artificial intelligence-generated photos to attract customers to what it billed as an “immersive experience” that would transport Willy Wonka fans to a “magical realm.” In reality, this “immersive experience” was held at a shabby warehouse in Glasgow, Scotland, that was so depressing attendees compared it to a meth lab.

This viral news story inspired The Little Mermaid Live producer Richard Kraft, and his Kraft-Engel Productions, to turn that event into a musical parody.

It's a testament to Disney's branding that mainstream audiences don't necessarily know who directed or starred in some of their better-known movies. Although many have seen the studio's 1950 animated feature "Cinderella," most audiences wouldn't be able to tell you that Ilene Woods played the title character, or that Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi directed the film. Disney's "Aladdin" changed that with the casting of Robin Williams as the Genie. And the trend of hiring known screen celebrities, often not voice actors, to sell an animated feature to a broad audience went to a whole other level in the wake of DreamWorks' "Shrek." The advent of the internet also helped certain actresses become known among Disney fans. Nowadays, many adults know the names of the actresses who played characters like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Ariel the Mermaid.

By Disney's own selection, there are thirteen "official" Disney Princesses: Snow White,...

A team of top film, television and stage songwriters have joined forces to create a musical satire inspired by the recent, ill-fated Willy Wonka knockoff fiasco in Glasgow, Scotland that became a social media phenomenon.

Produced by Kraft-Engel Productions, WillyFest – A Musical Parody is to premiere in late 2024.

The creative team behind the parody musical is comprised of Emmy-nominated Riki Lindhome Emmy winners Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell Broadway songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner First Date, ABC’s Once Upon a Time) and TikTok songwriter Daniel Mertzlufft.

“From Broadway to street corner pop-ups, audiences have become obsessed with immersive experiences that enable them to be a part of the story,” said a statement from songwriters Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner. “But it takes a special...

A new musical is hoping to turn a disastrous Willy Wonka experience into a golden ticket.

Willy Fest: A Musical Parody will take inspiration from a Scottish event that went viral last month for all the wrong reasons. The event was billed as an “immersive experience” that would put Willy Wonka fans into a “magical realm.” Its organizers used lush AI-generated photos to attract customers, who upon arriving, found themselves in a drab wearhouse customers compared to a meth lab.

Willy Fest is planned as a live event for late 2024, and hails from producer Richard Kraft, known for ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live, who will produce via his Kraft-Engel Productions. He has assembled a team of writers and musicians to bring the project to fruition.

“While it is quite common for there to be writers’ rooms in television, taking that approach with theatrical songwriters is fairly unique and likely...

It is crunch time for Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan, and Molly McNearney, the three Executive Producers of the 96th Annual Academy Awards. As they are putting final touches in place for what they hope will be a show that honors not just this year’s crop of movies but also Hollywood’s and Oscar’s rich history, the trio are planning a ceremony that excites viewers to the point of keeping the recent post-pandemic ratings rise rising.

All indications are good that this could be a banner year, ratings wise, for the Oscars, particularly with the potency and popularity of this year’s Best Picture contenders, most notably the dual phenomenon of summer blockbusters Barbie and front-runner Oppenheimer (aka Barbenheimer) which have 21 nominations between them. As host Jimmy Kimmel told me earlier this week, viewers will have actually seen this year’s movies and have a rooting interest in the outcome.

Los Angeles, Dec 18 (Ians) Singer Shaggy says he “didn’t want to overstay (his) welcome” in music as he added that trying new things is the secret to achieving “longevity” in a showbiz career.

The ‘It Wasn’t Me’ hitmaker has enjoyed major success in showbiz over the course of the last 30 years but has turned his attention away from music in recent times and explained that the decision to do other things is all part of a plan to achieve “longevity” in the industry, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He told E! News: “I’ve been lucky to have gone through this multiple times. I was lucky to go through that roller coaster ride of the fanning-out, the craziness. Everything for me is strategic. You go to your aunt’s house and she’s happy to see you.

“She’s making your bed, she’s cooking for you. You stay there for two weeks,...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

There is a little something for everyone, whether you're an Eddie Murphy fan or thrive on the work of Taylor Sheridan.

We'll begin with a Christmas special featuring Ted Lasso's award-winning actress Hannah Waddingham.

Hannah Waddingham will be getting an assist from her Ted Lasso costars during her upcoming holiday special.

Apple TV+ debuted the official trailer for Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas on Wednesday, and it's poised to be one of the most heartwarming television events of the year.

Ted Lasso alums Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt), Nick Mohammed (Nathan Shelley), Kola Bokinni (Isaac McAdoo), Billy Harris (Colin Hughes), James Lance (Trent Crimm), and June Temple (Keeley Jones) are all present in the clip.

The special drops on the streaming platform on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, and will also be accompanied by an album launching on that same date.

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham is ready to ring in the holidays. Apple dropped the trailer for Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas, set to debut globally on Nov. 22 on the streamer.

Recorded live at The Coliseum in London, the one-hour special features Waddingham singing Christmas classics. She’s joined on stage by Sam Ryder, Luke Evans, Leslie Odom Jr., and Phil Dunster, along with the English National Opera, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, The Fabulous Lounge Swingers and an 18-piece band.

Waddingham also shares anecdotes and memories about her own holiday experiences.

The live soundtrack will be available on all music streaming platforms via Platoon on Nov. 22.

Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas is executive produced by Waddingham, Katy Mullan, Moira Ross, Raj Kapoor and Nick Todisco and produced by Done + Dusted.

The holiday special is directed by BAFTA Award winner Hamish Hamilton.

Apple TV+ released the trailer for “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas” Wednesday, and the Christmas music special promises a “festive extravaganza” packed with the “Ted Lasso” stars Broadway-ready vocals and surprise guests.

The special debuts globally on Nov. 22 on Apple TV+. Appearances already named include those of Waddingham’s “Ted Lasso” costar Phil Dunster, Luke Evans, Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ryder. Waddingham will sing Christmas classics during the hour-long special. A companion album will launch on the same date and be made available on all music streaming platforms.

Additional performers include the English National Opera, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, The Fabulous Lounge Swingers and an 18-piece band. Waddingham shares her personal journey to this magical moment with anecdotes and memories about her own holiday experiences throughout the special, which was recorded live at The Coliseum in London.

More “Ted Lasso” cast members appear in the trailer, as well,...

Apple TV+ celebrates the holidays this year with an expansive line-up of programming for the whole family. From the debut of the Apple Original special,“The Velveteen Rabbit,” based on the beloved children’s classic written by Margery Williams, to the brand new holiday-themed film “Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas,” which features the Emmy Award-winning “Ted Lasso” actor; along with all-new holiday special episodes from “The Snoopy Show,” “Frog and Toad,” “Sago Mini Friends” and “Shape Island,” Apple TV+ is your home to celebrate the season.

Apple TV+ will also provide special free windows to stream iconic holiday specials from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will be available for all to see Saturday, November 18 through Sunday, November 19 and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be available Saturday, December 16 through Sunday, December 17. This programming is available to subscribers now and every day.

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's magical live-action reimagining of "The Little Mermaid" hit theaters in May, and now it's finally heading to streaming. The remake, which stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, was one of the most anticipated movies of the year, especially after unveiling its sprawling, full-length trailer during the 2023 Oscars. Its cast also includes Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian.

Though live-action Disney remakes can sometimes be hit or miss, it seems the new "The Little Mermaid" has something everyone can enjoy (even adults who are fans of the iconic story). From exciting new songs to renditions of classics from the original 1989 movie, the rebooted movie breathes new life into a familiar tale that today's generation has fallen in love with - especially with Bailey at the forefront.

Bailey's role as Ariel has...

It’s one thing to be a princess, genie, or any number of heroes. It can’t be denied there’s something far more tantalizing about being the villain. The provocative voice of Pat Carroll gave life to Ursula, one of Disney’s most beloved villains. Don’t forget her equally devious sister, Morgana. Carroll kept coming back to the undersea world, delivering her oh-so-fantastically sinister laugh. Queen Latifah took on The Little Mermaid villain in The Little Mermaid Live! and Melissa McCarthy recently played the sea witch in Disney's live-action remake, and while both were great, Carroll still remains the supreme Ursula...

Today, find out where you can watch the new young-adult sci-fi series The Power: what streaming service to catch each episode on and more.

Based on Naomi Alderman’s best-selling sci-fi novel of the same name, The Power addresses the question of power equality between men and women. The plot follows four different teenage girls as they discover their ability to shoot electricity from their hands, think Star Wars’ Emperor Palpatine mixed with X-Men’s Storm. We soon find out this power is not exclusive to the four teenage girls which the story follows, but every woman in the world is capable.

The phenomenon is a global one and the four stories are spread across different countries, from London to Nigeria. We see how the different situations the girls find themselves in produce different opinions toward their newly discovered powers. One character believes she is the next coming of...

Exclusive: SAG Award-winning and Grammy-nominated actor and singer Amber Riley has signed with ColorCreative for representation.

Known for her breakout role as Mercedes Jones on Fox’s musical comedy series Glee, Riley most recently starred in the Lifetime movie Single Black Female and won Season 8 of The Masked Singer.

Riley made her West End debut in 2016 as Effie White in Dreamgirls for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Evening Standard Theater Award for Best Musical Performance. In 2020, Riley released her debut EP Riley and is currently recording a second EP with Grammy-winning producer Harmony Samuels.

Born and raised in Compton, Riley most recently became the first celebrity to win both Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.

“Amber Riley brings a powerhouse talent to the table with her incredible voice and just as strong acting skills,” said Raj Raghavan, Head of Talent at ColorCreative.

The Little Mermaid made an unexpected choice when it cast Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in the live-action adaption, but according to the trailer, this was no mistake. Halle Bailey made headlines in 2019 when she was cast as the lead princess Ariel for good reasons and bad. Disney infuriated some over casting a black actress as a princess that was portrayed as white in the animated film. Luckily, this fury was soon washed away by excitement. In September, a slew of videos went viral of young black girls reacting to The Little Mermaid teaser, expressing enthusiasm for seeing someone who looks like them playing the role of Ariel.

McCarthy's casting as Ursula was also quite controversial. The Little Mermaid fans didn't see this coming and had a list of people they thought should have played the purple squid. McCarthy was not on it. There was also a lot of disappointment surrounding Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

Apple TV+ today revealed that trailblazing country singer-songwriters, including 2021’s CMA New Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen, four-time Grammy nominee Mickey Guyton and critically acclaimed songwriter, country recording artist and activist Orville Peck joined the groundbreaking new music competition series, “My Kind of Country,” as scouts searching the globe to find talented artists and break the next big country star. Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves are featured in the series, set to premiere globally on March 24 on Apple TV+.

Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves are executive producers in music competition series “My Kind of Country.”

“My Kind of Country” is a fresh take on a competition series, breaking down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse and innovative artists from around the world. Scouts Allen, Guyton and Peck each handpick a roster of exceptional up-and-coming artists and invite them to the home of country music in Nashville,...

Let us pull up a chair. Disney fans are cordially invited to be ABC’s guest for Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration of the fairy tale as old as time. The 1991 classic — the first animated film to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Picture — is being feted with a two-hour special that, similar to 2019’s The Little Mermaid Live!, will combine scenes from the movie with live performances of songs in front of an audience. Playing the bookish Belle and the cursed and lonely Beast are Grammy-winning R&b songstress Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (stage name H.E.R.) and Broadway vet Josh Groban. (Credit: ABC/Christopher Willard) “When you hear Gabby and Josh sing together, it is pure magic,” says exec producer Raj Kapoor, who notes that they worked with original composer Alan Menken to bring new elements to the score, including a H.E.R. guitar solo during...

Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey join the ensemble cast of Paramount Pictures’ new Mean Girls film based on the Tony-nominated Broadway musical in the roles of Cady, Regina, Janis and Damian, respectively.

Lorne Michaels is producing with Tina Fey. Erin David, Caroline Maroney, and Micah Frank are overseeing for Broadway Video, and Eric Gurian and Jeff Richmond for Little Stranger. Arturo Perez and Samantha Jayne are directing with Fey writing the adaptation.

The film is based on the stage musical Mean Girls written by Fey, with music by Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Paramount Pictures is adapting the new film for Paramount+.

Most recently, Rice starred in Paramount+ and Awesomeness films’ dark comedy Honor Society in which Rice played the titular role of Honor. The feature quickly rose to #1 on the streamer following its release. Rice also appeared alongside Rebel Wilson in the Netflix comedy Senior Year.

Katelyn Tarver is set as the lead in Open Book, Amazon Freevee’s half-hour scripted pilot, inspired by Jessica Simpson’s bestselling memoir, from Tom Kapinos (Californication), Patrick Moran’s Pkm Productions and Amazon Studios. John Stamos has been tapped as the male lead. If the pilot goes to series, Stamos will recur; he currently headlines the Disney+ series Big Shot. Adam Bernstein (Billions) directs and also serves as executive producer.

Described as a propulsive, music-soaked coming-of-age story, Open Book, written by Kapinos, follows pop star Sadie Sparrow’s (Tarver) rise from ingenue to mogul, introducing us to the family, friends, and lovers she collects along the way. Touching on themes of love, friendship, family and sisterhood, relationships, soul connections, Hollywood and the music business, Sadie ultimately comes to embrace herself and the fact that her heart inevitably wants what it wants at every stage of life.

Tarver’s Sadie...

“Beauty and the Beast” is getting a two-hour live-action and animated special for its 30th anniversary, which is set to air on ABC on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. Et. The project, to be executive produced by Jon M. Chu and directed by Hamish Hamilton, will feature a new cast.

The special will pay tribute to the 1991 original film and its legacy by “showcasing the fan-favorite movie, along with new memorable musical performances, taking viewers on a magical adventure through the eyes of Belle.” The Disney fairy tale made history as the first animated feature to garner an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 1992, winning Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

“‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a timeless story and we’re so fortunate to work with creative mastermind Jon M. Chu and veteran director Hamish Hamilton to bring a modern twist to this beloved classic for...

Early success can be a blessing and a curse. Most child actors hoping to transition to more mature roles face an uphill battle, and it can be hard to coax audiences out of the cognitive dissonance of seeing established baby-faced performers as fully fledged adults.

Fortunately, “Moana” star Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the titular role in the mega-hit Disney musical, doesn’t have that problem — though she may need a little help reminding people who she is. She’s not worried, though. Still, fans of the fearless Hawaiian princess may be surprised by her latest big on-camera role: a scrappy tomboy who rides a skateboard in Hulu’s new queer rom-com “Crush.”

Led by an all LGBTQ creative team that consists of writers Kirsten King and Casey Rackham and director Sammi Cohen, “Crush” is a charming queer rom-com for the Disney Channel generation. The movie stars “Girl Meets World” lead Rowan Blanchard as Paige,...

Starting in 2023, Mattel will return to making Disney Princess and Frozen toys.

Today the toymaker announced a multi-year global licensing agreement with Disney for its Princess and Frozen lines, to develop lines of toys for the studio’s Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, including fashion dolls, small dolls, and figures. Mattel and Disney already hatched a licensing agreement for the studio’s Pixar Toy Story and Cars franchises, which includes the upcoming Lightyear.

Since 2016, Hasbro has had the rights to make Disney Princess and Frozen toys.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome back the Disney Princess and Frozen lines to Mattel,” said Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mattel. “As the worldwide leader in dolls, we look forward to bringing our unique Mattel Playbook approach to brand management, product and marketing expertise, and unrelenting attention to detail and quality to create innovative and inspiring lines for these iconic stories and characters.

“We were in Covid and we were rolling into the Christmas season,” says Emmy nominee Bruce Grayson while discussing his opportunity to head up the makeup department for “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.” “When asked if we could pull something like this off in the deep Covid months of 2020 I thought, ‘Well, this would be cool not only because it would be an accomplishment to get the industry up and running, but also to create a TV special with Mariah Carey.’ She owns Christmas.” Watch the exclusive interview with Grayson and six-time Emmy winner James Mackinnon above.

The special premiered on Apple TV+ on December 4 with hopes of bringing Christmas cheer at the end of a year filled with heartache and uncertainty for many. It featured a large lineup of guest stars including Billy Eichner, Ariana Grande, Tiffany Haddish, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg and perhaps most importantly, Santa Claus!

Image Source: Getty / Frederic J. Brown / Gregg DeGuire

High school crushes are almost never easy to deal with, but Rowan Blanchard and Auli'i Cravalho are going back to school to relive the drama and heartache in Hulu's newest coming-of-age film. The untitled project, directed by Sammi Cohen, tells the love story of an aspiring artist who's forced to join her high school track team. Luckily, Paige (Rowan Blanchard) sees this as an opportunity to pursue her longtime crush. Instead, she ends up falling for a mysterious new teammate named Aj (Auli'i Cravalho) who's used to living in her twin's shadow, according to Deadline.

"Frick yeah baby!

Rowan Blanchard (Snowpiercer) and Auli’i Cravalho (Moana) have signed on to star in an untitled coming-of-age film, which Sammi Cohen is directing for Hulu.

The film scripted by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham centers on an aspiring artist who is forced to join her high school track team, using it as an opportunity to pursue the girl she’s been harboring a long-time crush on. Later, though, she finds herself falling for an unexpected teammate, only then discovering what real love feels like.

Blanchard will play Paige, the aspiring artist who’s thrust out of her comfort zone. Cravalho will portray Aj, an elusive track star who has always lived in the shadow of her twin sister.

Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Ryan Bennett of American High are producing with Andrew Miano of Depth of Field; Natasha Lyonne, Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens of Animal Pictures; Katie Newman of...

Rowan Blanchard and Auli’i Cravalho have signed on to lead Hulu’s upcoming queer teen movie from director Sammi Cohen.

Blanchard will play Paige, an aspiring artist who’s thrust out of her comfort zone when forced to join the track team captained by her longtime crush, but she soon finds herself falling for an unexpected teammate, ultimately discovering what real love feels like. Cravalho will play Aj, an elusive track star who has always lived in the shadow of her twin sister.

Written by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, the untitled film is produced by Animal Pictures’ Natasha Lyonne, Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens; American High’s Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Ryan Bennett; Depth of Field’s Andrew Miano; 3Arts’ Katie Newman; and Ld Entertainment’s Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon. Executive producers are Depth of Field’s Britta Rowings and Dan Balgoyen, with Rowings overseeing production; Michael Glassman...

NBC is getting a New Deal for Christmas, as it gets back into the live TV musical business with “Annie Live!” Set to air during the holidays, “Annie” also represents a homecoming of sorts for producers Bob Greenblatt and Neil Meron.

Greenblatt, of course, is the former NBC Entertainment chairman who found success in bringing live musicals to the network, starting with “The Sound of Music Live!” in 2013. Meron and the late Craig Zadan were the producers behind that special, which was a tremendous hit — averaging 21.8 million viewers in live+3 ratings. It spawned follow-up events including “Peter Pan Live!” in 2014, “The Wiz Live!” in 2015, “Hairspray Live!” in 2016 and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” on Easter in 2018.

“Annie Live!” landed at NBC after being shopped to all four major broadcast networks. “NBC is where we started these live musicals and I still have so much affection for it,” Greenblatt said.

Auli'i Cravalho is only 20 years old, and in that time, she's accomplished some amazing things. From starring as the voice actress in Disney's hit movie Moana to playing Ariel in ABC's The Little Mermaid Live! to landing a role in Netflix's All Together Now, Auli'i has not let anything stop her from making her dreams come true. The actress joined us for Popsugar's Girl Talk: Knowledge Is Our Superpower event, featuring Michelle Obama and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, to talk about her three ways to dream big. The event premiered Thursday and is a collection of inspiring conversations with celebrity guests in support of girls' education across the world. We suggest you whip out your pen and paper, because real talk: Auli'i's tips for dreaming big are really freakin' good!

Practice being confident. It's hard to achieve a goal if you don't believe in yourself. Auli'i mentioned she "would...

For a minute there, it seemed as though the live TV musical had fallen out of favor once again. Beginning with NBC's 2013 production of The Sound of Music Live!, we found ourselves in the midst of a minor craze as the networks gathered A-list casts to mount annual specials, bringing some of Broadway's most beloved musicals to life on the small screen. But after a 2019 that saw Fox have to rely on Rent: Live's taped dress rehearsal footage while ABC's The Little Mermaid Live! made us wonder whether they really understood the assignment or not, it felt like a good time to press pause for a bit. Of course, that all changes on Wednesday, Dec. 9, as NBC revives the...

Amber Riley is setting her sights on a Dream gig: The Glee vet will star in and co-executive-produce the music-driven comedy, which is in development at NBC, our sister site Deadline reports.

The single-camera project follows a former teen mom, Dream Morgan (played by Riley), who turns her life upside down to pursue her dream of becoming a singer after her son graduates from college. Lisa Muse Bryant (black-ish) will pen the script and serve as showrunner, in addition to exec-producing alongside Neil Meron (The Wiz Live!, Smash).

More from TVLineSaturday Night Live: Jason Bateman, Timothée Chalamet and Kristen Wiig...

Exclusive: Glee alumna Amber Riley is returning to series television as the star of another music-driven broadcast comedy series. Riley is set to headline and co-executive produce Dream, a single-camera comedy in development at NBC from writer-producer Lisa Muse Bryant (Black-ish), producer Neil Meron and Universal TV where Meron is based.

This marks a reunion for Riley and Meron. The actress and Grammy-nominated singer starred in The Wiz Live!, Meron and his late producing partner Craig Zadan’s highly-rated live musical on NBC.

Written by Bryant, in Dream, when her son graduates from college, former teen mom Dream Morgan (Riley) turns her life upside down to pursue her dream of becoming a singer.

Bryant serves as showrunner and executive produces with Meron and his producing partner Mark Nicholson. Riley co-executive produces.

Since the end of Glee, Riley also appeared in the Tyler Perry feature Nobody’s Fool opposite Tiffany Haddish...

This year’s hair, makeup, and costume winners at the Creative Arts Emmys represented some of the most ambitious and inventive works of beautifying.

The final night of Emmys in these categories saw a few fan favorites be recognized. HBO’s runaway hit “Euphoria” won its second Emmy of the year after winning for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Doniella Davy, Kirsten Coleman, and Tara Lang walked away with the award for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup.

The show was also up for an Emmy for their costumes but the Contemporary Costume win went to Debra Hanson and Darci Cheyne for the final season of Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek.” And after winning an Emmy for its Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, Netflix’s “Hollywood” won the award for its period hairstyling, going to Michelle Ceglia, Barry Lee Moe, George Guzman, Michele L. Arvizo, and Maria Elena Pantoja.

The usual winners are present and accounted for,...

On the heels of starring in the Netflix film All Together Now, Auliʻi Cravalho talks Moana, meeting Dewayne Johnson, and Facetiming Lin Manuel-Miranda in the latest installment of Rolling Stone‘s “The First Time.”

Cravalho kicked off with the first time she watched Moana, the beloved Disney animation film she starred in. After screening it on a producer’s laptop, she saw it in theaters at the premiere. “It was hectic and mind-blowing to hear everyone’s reactions to the things that I was like, ‘I hope people find that funny,...

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,...

Producer/director Reginald Hudlin, whose credits include the 2016 Oscars, will become the first-ever Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys, Variety has learned exclusively.

Done+Dusted will return to produce the telecast, while Hudlin will serve as an executive producer along side host Jimmy Kimmel and Done+Dusted’s Guy Carrington, David Jammy and Ian Stewart.

ABC and the Television Academy is set to announce the Emmys producing team later today. Last year, Done+Dusted produced the kudocast alongside Don Mischer Prods.

“I’m excited to collaborate with this outstanding team as we produce a show that celebrates the best of what we do and reflects this moment in history,” said Hudlin, who earned an Emmy nomination for producing the Oscars, and whose awards show credits also include executive producing the NAACP Image Awards for nearly a decade.

The Emmys are set to air on Sunday, Sept. 20 with Kimmel presiding.

In the early 2010s it was unthinkable that “Modern Family” wouldn’t be nominated for Best Comedy Series at the Emmys. After all it did win a record-tying five times in a row (2010-2014). But the television academy gradually moved on, and it earned its last Best Comedy nomination in 2017 for its eighth season. The show said goodbye in 2020 after 11 years on the air, so could it make a comeback with its swansong? It could benefit from the academy’s decision to expand the top category.

SEEEmmys Best Comedy Series Gallery: Every Winner in Emmy Awards History

The Emmys recently announced new guidelines for deciding the number of nominees in each category based on the number of submissions in those categories, but for Best Comedy and Best Drama the fields are automatically expanding from seven slots to eight. That opens the door for more new shows, but also former favorites...

In a lot of ways, the McU movies getting more laced with jokes and self-aware quips was largely due to the runaway success of James Gunn's first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. While the filmmaker had mostly a free hand to put his own stamp on the film, Gunn recently revealed on Twitter that there was one particular joking exchange between Drax and Peter Quill that Disney would not sign off on.

(in movie)

Quill: I come from a planet of outlaws, Billy the Kid, Bonnie & Clyde, John Stamos.

Drax: Sounds like a place that I would like to visit.

Quill: Cool. (cut)

Drax: And kill many people there."

It is not clear why Disney felt this was the one joke that took things too far in the movie. Guardians of the Galaxy was laced with 80's pop culture references, from the entire opening scene being a homage to...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for ABC. For this season, the broadcast network has returning hits “Black-ish”, “The Conners”, “The Good Doctor” (Freddie Highmore), “Grey’s Anatomy” (Ellen Pompeo), “How to Get Away with Murder” (Viola Davis) and “Modern Family” (Ty Burrell). Variety programs “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Little Mermaid Live!” and “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” are also among their slate.

Below, the list of the network’s lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedies, dramas and other genres. More names might be added by the company on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

“$100,000 Pyramid”

Competition Program

Reality Host – Michael Strahan

“America’S Funniest Home Videos”

Structured Reality Program

Reality Host – Alfonso Ribeiro

“American Housewife”

Comedy Series

Comedy Supporting Actress – Meg Donnelly,...

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 Little Mermaid isn’t so little anymore in a new Peacock series… and she’s not so happy, either.

The forthcoming streaming service is developing Washed Up, a sequel series that puts a comedic spin on the classic fairy tale-turned-Disney film, our sister site Deadline reports. Picking up 15 years after the original story, the single-camera comedy finds the former mermaid “now miserable, unmotivated and in a loveless marriage. In other words, just a basic bitch human,” according to the official description. “But when her father suddenly dies, she suspects foul play and embarks on an epic adventure to save...

ABC is bringing back its Wonderful World of Disney franchise for a Wednesday movie night. It will feature several hit Disney feature films. The move follows the revival of CBS Sunday Movie franchise, which includes popular films from the Paramount library.

With the networks’ original series’ production halted and people looking for comfort-food entertainment while sheltering at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, blockbuster theatrical movies are becoming a viable programming option.

While The Wonderful World of Disney originally aired on Sundays, its new installment is slated for Wednesdays so it does not clash with CBS’ theatrical movie showcase. Once a weekly staple, over the past decade or so The Wonderful World of Disney has become a brand occasionally used by ABC for special programming, most recently The Little Mermaid Live! and The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.

For four consecutive Wednesday nights, the titles, currently available on Disney+,...