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When it comes to keeping audiences engaged, everyone from streamers and linear TV networks to esports leagues and music artists are tapping into the power of storytelling through live events.

Melanie Fletcher, whose production company Done + Dusted has been putting on live events across comedy, sports, gaming, music, specials and awards shows since 1998, tells TheWrap’s Office With a View that costs can range from as little as $1 million to as much as $50 million in any given year.

“It’s hard to conceive and stage and produce an event that’s also a livestream of any scale for under a million dollars,” said Fletcher, who serves as Done + Dusted’s North America CEO. “But the smaller events are no easier. You still have to apply all the same energy and love into it.”

The company’s notable live events have ranged from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which generated 1.2 billion engagements,...

J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems will serve as the headliners for the FIFA Club World Cup’s first-ever Halftime Show, the organization announced Monday alongside the nonprofit Global Citizen, which will produce the show. Chris Martin of Coldplay, who’s long been affiliated with Global Citizen, is curating the event.

The Halftime Show is set to broadcast on July 13th at MetLife Stadium, and it will air free globally through Dazn.com.

“From Medellín to MetLife — I’m honored to headline the first-ever halftime show of the FIFA Club World Cup final,” J Balvin said in a statement. “It’s a historic moment — for me, for Latin culture, and for every kid who dreams big.”

As Tems said: “We’re going to bring the world together for a beautiful moment — to celebrate football, feel the unity that music brings, and improve the lives of millions of children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

The 97th Academy Awards were held on Sunday night, i.e., the Super Bowl for movie fans. That comparison might sting a little for ABC, which probably wishes it could achieve Super Bowl ratings numbers for the Oscars, especially following Hulu's glitchy livestream, which likely contributed to a decrease in viewers for the first time in four years.

According to Variety, the 2025 Oscars attracted 18.1 million viewers to watchAnora claim Best Picture of the year, down 7% from the 19.5 million people who tuned in for the 2024 ceremony. Given that ratings for the awards ceremony have seen much lower lows, this is a respectable number, but it may be a sign that some of the films, beyond box-office behemoth Wicked, weren't sampled by casual moviegoers and mostly appealed to more dedicated cinephiles.

Related2025's Academy Awards Were One of the Best in Years

The 97th Academy Awards did not mock the nominees...

Will Conan O'Brien host the Academy Awards again? The question has been on everyone's lips since his performance during last night's ceremony. Thankfully, Walt Disney TV's Rob Mills, the executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment in charge of these things, has some thoughts on the matter, too. And in a new interview with Variety, the executive lays out his thoughts on that, some of the night's biggest jokes, and more.

Though hardly confirmation of anything that may or may not happen in the future, Mills put the ball directly in O'Brien's court when it comes to hosting the award show again, confirming to the outlet that ABC's parent company was deeply satisfied with the job the comedian did. Considering how thankless it can be to host an awards show (just ask all the other folks who have hosted award shows), it's a huge compliment to O'Brien's ability to appeal...

Chris Rock is playing coy about hosting the Academy Awards again. The former host — who was involved in one of the most memorable moments in Oscars history when he was slapped by Will Smith onstage — remained vague when asked whether or not he would tackle the role taken on by Conan O'Brien in this year's ceremony.

Considering all that he had to endure not only during the 2022 Oscars, but the fallout after the fact, it's not surprising that the Fargo star was hesitant to commit to returning. But given that Rock was all about "forgiveness" when E! News asked him about it at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, we could absolutely see a world where he comes back and hosts the show again. But if you want to know exactly what he had to say about the matter, keep reading below!

RelatedChris Rock Faces Humorous Threat from Another Round Director...

One day before the 97th Academy Awards were scheduled to air on ABC, many of the presenters attended Saturday's star-studded Oscars rehearsal at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 1.

Scroll through our photos above that feature Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Elle Fanning, Andrew Garfield, Lily Rose-Depp, Ana de Armas, Miles Teller, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John Lithgow, Goldie Hawn, and more A-listers as they prepare for their big moment in Oscar's spotlight. No pressure, everyone. It's not like billions of people around the world will be watching the broadcast.

SEEThe ABCs of the 2025 Oscars, from ‘Anora’ to Zoe Saldaña

The Oscar nominations were led by Emilia Pérez at 13, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked at 10 apiece, A Complete Unknown and Conclave at eight each, Anora at six, and Dune: Part Two and The Substance both at five.

This year's Academy Awards ceremony is produced by Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan,...

One day before the 97th Academy Awards were scheduled to air on ABC, many of the presenters attended Saturday's star-studded Oscars rehearsal at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 1.

Scroll through our photos below that feature Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Elle Fanning, Andrew Garfield, Lily Rose-Depp, Ana de Armas, Miles Teller, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John Lithgow, Goldie Hawn, and more A-listers as they prepare for their big moment in Oscar's spotlight. No pressure, everyone. It's not like billions of people around the world will be watching the broadcast.

The Oscar nominations were led by Emilia Pérez at 13, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked at 10 apiece, A Complete Unknown and Conclave at eight each, Anora at six, and Dune: Part Two and The Substance both at five.

This year's Academy Awards ceremony is produced by Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Conan O'Brien is the host,...

Harrison Ford will no longer be presenting at Sunday night’s Academy Awards, Variety has confirmed.

Variety has confirmed through Ford’s rep that his last minute exit Saturday was due to a shingles diagnosis received on Friday. The Mayo Clinic describes shingles as a non-life threatening incurable viral infection that causes “a painful rash” which looks like “a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.”

Entertainment Weekly was the first to report Ford’s exit.

Presenters still slated to walk the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater on Sunday night for the 97th Academy Awards include Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Bowen Yang, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr., Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña and Rachel Zegler.

Jamie Foxx had Netflix’s most-viewed comedy special for the back half of 2024 with What Had Happened Was…, the streamer shared on Wednesday.

The revelation came as part of Netflix’s biannual “What We Watched” report. Foxx’s traction with the special is no surprise, given that it gave the first in-depth window into a severe health scare he experienced in April 2023, while filming Netflix’s recently unveiled action comedy Back in Action in Atlanta.

While not globally available, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… notched 13,300,000 hours viewed between its December 10 premiere date and end of year, coming in as the 119th most-viewed TV program during this period.

Matt Rife came in second place with Lucid – A Crowd Work Special, which premiered in August and went on to generate 8,700,000 hours viewed. He placed 171st on the overall TV list, after breaking out as Netflix’s top comic in the second...

Everyone's favorite canoe-paddler and gigglepuss extraordinaire, Nick Offerman, has been confirmed as the official Show Announcer for this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The Parks and Recreation funnyman will join host Conan O'Brien in show duties that are sure to bring the funny to this year's Oscars. And he's not the only famous face (or voice) to be newly confirmed to present or join the broadcast of the 97th installment of cinematic accolades.

The news was confirmed on Wednesday by The Hollywood Reporter while speaking with executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan. The event will be the first time the Emmy Award-winning performer has attended the ceremony.

Also planning to work that night are Oprah Winfrey, Selena Gomez, Ben Stiller, Willem Dafoe, Goldie Hawn, Sterling K. Brown, Joe Alwyn, Lily-Rose Depp, Ana de Armas, and Connie Nielsen — all of whom have been confirmed as presenters at the awards.

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...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Hot off the film’s Critics Choice Awards Best Picture win, Anora‘s Sean Baker took home his first DGA Awards win in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film category. Winners of the 77th Annual DGA Awards were announced on February 8th at a ceremony hosted by filmmaker Judd Apatow in Beverly Hills.

In addition to the competitive categories, Ang Lee was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Unit Production Manager Mary Rae Thewlis earned the Robert B. Aldrich Service Award. Unit Production Manager Thomas J. Whelan was recognized with the Frank Capra Achievement Award.

“I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational, and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of...

With Oscar nominations firmly set and multiple guild award shows every week between now and the big show in March, the race to the Academy Awards has entered its final leg. This weekend is a crucial one for award watchers, with the Producers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America both giving out their annual prizes at ceremonies that could predict the Best Picture and Best Director race.

The 77th annual DGA Awards, which took place at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, February 8, honored the year’s finest achievements in feature filmmaking, episodic TV, and commercial directing. The evening’s top prize, Theatrical Feature Film, went to Sean Baker for “Anora,” while other nominees included Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”), Edward Berger (“Conclave”), Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”), and James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”).

It remains to be seen what Baker’s big win means for his Oscar campaign — but last...

Last year’s Oscar winners Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr. are set to return to the 2025 ceremony as presenters.

Stone won best actress for playing Bella Baxter in “Poor Things” by Yorgos Lanthimos; Murphy was best actor for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”; Randolph won best supporting actress for her performance as Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne; and Downey Jr. won best supporting actor for playing Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer.”

Stone is a two-time Oscar winner, having won previously for her role in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land.” Murphy, Randolph and Downey Jr. were all first-time winners in 2024.

When accepting her second Oscar, Stone told the crowd that she had been “panicking” about the possibility of winning the award. “Yorgos [Lanthimos] said to me, please take yourself out of it. And he was right,...

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.

Sza is heading to the Super Bowl.

The Grammy-winning star will join Kendrick Lamar for the Apple Music Super Bowl Lix halftime show on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. In a new trailer released Thursday, Sza is seen pouring Gatorade on Lamar while he’s on a football field.

The halftime show comes at a time that both Sza and Lamar are topping the charts, including collaborative hits like “Luther” from Gnx and “30 for 30” from Sos Deluxe: Lana. Their past hits include the Oscar-nominated “All the Stars” and “Doves In the Wind.”

Lamar previously performed at the hip-hop heavy 2022 halftime show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. All of the performers, along with executive producers Jay-Z and Jesse Collins, won the outstanding live variety special Emmy for the epic performance. Creative direction for Lamar’s upcoming performance will be provided by pgLang,...

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced the list of TV nominees for its 77th Annual DGA Awards. The list shows some of the best work that streaming services and traditional networks have done in various areas, such as limited series, variety shows, reality shows, and children’s programs.

HBO’s “The Penguin” has received three nominations in the Movies for Television and Limited Series category, making it a strong candidate. People praised directors Kevin Bray, Jennifer Getzinger, and Helen Shaver for their work on shows such as “Top Hat,” “A Great or Little Thing,” and “Cent’anni.”

Steven Zaillian and Alfonso Cuarón are two well-known filmmakers who stand out in other areas. You can vote for Zaillian to direct Netflix’s “Ripley,” and you can vote for Cuarón to direct Apple TV+’s “Disclaimer.” These nominations show how streaming services are becoming more important in elite TV directing.

There...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday announced the shortlists in 10 Oscar categories for the 97th Academy Awards.

The announcement included movies that are in consideration for the following categories: documentary feature film, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live-action short film, sound and visual effects.

Emilia Pérez, The Apprentice, Dune: Part Two, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Nosferatu, Wicked, Challengers, The Wild Robot, Gladiator II and Blitz were among the films that were shortlisted in several categories.

Voting for the 97th Oscars begins at 9 am Pt on Jan. 8 and runs through 5 p.m. Pt on Jan. 12. The nominees will be unveiled Jan. 17. Final voting begins at 9 a.m. Pt on Feb. 11 and ends at 5 p.m. Pt on Feb. 18.

Conan O’Brien is set to host the 2025 Oscars ceremony, which will take place March 2. It will be televised...

The actor-comedian-musician, Jamie Foxx is back, and he’s bringing the laughs and the feels in his new Netflix special, What Had Happened Was…And this time, he is pulling no punches. In the special, the star is opening up about the health scare that shook his world in 2023, and honestly, ours. Yes, the one that had us holding our breath and sending prayers his way. Reportedly, Foxx faced a serious medical emergency, a brain bleed that led to a stroke, and unfortunately, the star spent nearly a month in a coma.

Jamie Foxx in The Burial (Credits- Amazon Prime Video)

Now that the actor has fully recovered, Foxx is back on stage doing what he does best, making us laugh while tugging at our heartstrings. And this Netflix special doesn’t just deliver laughs, it’s a raw, emotional rollercoaster as Foxx shares not only his gratitude for being...

Did you miss him? Jamie Foxx has returned to stand-up comedy — and he’s got a story to tell.

In Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, the legendary entertainer took the stage in a comedy event directed by Hamish Hamilton. The special comes after Foxx’s 2023 hospitalization, and the Oscar- and Grammy-winning comedy icon sets the record straight, revealing he had a ‘brain bleed that led to a stroke,” which led to him fighting for his life. Foxx recounts his ordeal with vulnerability, expressing deep gratitude to those who supported his recovery — and a healthy dose of humor.

“April 11, I was having a bad headache, and I asked my boy for Aspirin,” he recalls in the special. “I realized quickly that when you’re in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the f**k to do.”

What Had Happened Was… is a celebration of resilience, humor, and...

The Oscars will finally stream live on an SVOD platform, and it only took us 97 years to get here.

The 2025 Academy Awards will stream live on Hulu in addition to airing live on ABC. It’s actually the first time the Oscars have streamed live on Hulu for all subscribers, despite it being the second Academy Awards for which Disney owned Hulu outright.

Hulu first launched in 2008 as broadcast’s answer to Netflix’s pivot to streaming. It was originally a joint venture for ABC, NBC, and Fox programming (CBS sat this one out), but Disney eventually bought its partners out.

The reason we can’t say the Oscars are streaming live for the first time ever, full stop, is because that wouldn’t technically be true. In a way, the awards have streamed on Hulu before — on Hulu + Live TV.

Hulu + Live TV is the vMVPD offering that essentially replicates a traditional cable package.

The 97th Academy Awards will be streamed live on US streaming service Hulu on March 2, 2025 in addition to the television broadcast on ABC.

It is the first time the Oscars will be available on a streaming service with Hulu subscribers able to stream the ceremony live and watch on the platform from the next day.

Several other awards ceremonies have turned to streaming including the Golden Globes which will be streamed live on Paramount+ on January 5 in addition to its CBS broadcast. The 2024 SAG Awards were streamed on Netflix earlier this year.

The Oscars 2025 ceremony is being hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.

The Oscars will finally stream live in 2025.

On Wednesday, ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that the Oscars will stream live on Hulu next year. It’s the first time the Academy Awards has ever streamed live in history.

The ceremony will continue to air on ABC linear television stations in addition to its streaming option on the Disney-owned subscription platform. Previously, the Oscars streamed live only to those Hulu subscribers who also paid for live television channels.

The shift to a streaming option seems likely to increase overall viewership for the Oscars. The ceremony is coming off a four-year ratings high this year after the success of the so-called Barbenheimer Oscars, when “Oppenheimer” won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, and its blockbuster release-date partner, “Barbie,” factored heavily into the show as well, winning Best Original Song.

The Oscars are the latest – and biggest – awards...

A long-overdue shake-up is coming to Hollywood’s most celebrated night.

For the first time in history, the Oscars will be streamed on Hulu and aired live on ABC, making the ceremony more accessible than ever.

The potential game changer, announced jointly by ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, indicates a significant shift in how audiences can engage with one of the world’s most prestigious awards shows. Additionally, the 97th annual ceremony will be available for on-demand viewing on Hulu the following day, allowing more fans to experience the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest night.

As previously announced, this year’s emcee will be Emmy-winning comedian and late-night legend Conan O’Brien, marking his debut at the annual event. Live television maestro Raj Kapoor will return as executive producer and showrunner, continuing his streak of helming high-profile events. He will be joined by executive producer Katy Mullan,...

The next Oscar ceremony will stream live for the first time on Hulu,

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.

The 97th Academy Awards will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. Est/4 p.m. Pst. The entire telecast will also be available on Hulu next day.

Comedian and former”Late Night” star Conan O’Brien will make his hosting debut for the big night.

AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang described O’Brien as “incomparable” when the news was announced on Nov. 15.

97th Oscars official poster

“He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best–honor...

For the first time ever, the Oscars will be available to stream live on Hulu, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday morning.

The ceremony will also air live on ABC, as usual. Hulu’s presentation will be available to all subscribers, and the telecast will be available to rewatch on Hulu the next day.

The announcement comes on the heels of this week’s Golden Globes nominations, the ceremony for which will stream on Paramount+ in addition to its CBS broadcast in January.

Conan O’Brien is set to host Hollywood’s big night, which will see the industry convene at the Dolby Theatre at 4 p.m. Pt on Sunday, March 2, 2025. The official live red carpet show will begin at 3:30 p.m. Pt.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president...

Jamie Foxx, the acclaimed actor and comedian, is set to candidly discuss his harrowing medical emergency in his upcoming Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, premiering on December 10.

This marks Foxx’s return to stand-up comedy after more than two decades, offering fans an intimate glimpse into his near-fatal health scare.

In April 2023, while filming the Netflix movie Back in Action in Georgia, Foxx experienced a severe medical complication that led to his hospitalization.

The incident began with a sudden, intense headache, prompting him to seek an Advil from a friend.

Unbeknownst to him, this would lead to a prolonged medical crisis. Foxx later recounted, “I was gone for 20 days. I don’t remember anything,” highlighting the severity of his condition.

The legendary actor’s condition remained a mystery to the public during his hospital stay.

Jamie Foxx was spotted in downtown Phoenix, where he told a small...

In 2023, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx suffered a medical emergency. He was hospitalized for weeks and was reportedly near death. But Foxx never publicly explained what happened. And that silence led to confusion and worries among his fans.

Now, he’s finally setting the record straight in a comedy special called “What Had Happened Was…,” which is coming to Netflix next week. “If I can stay funny, I can stay alive,” he says. The special is described as a celebration of resilience, humor, and community, as Foxx expresses gratitude for the people who helped him survive and recover. The trailer doesn’t reveal what happened, but he will presumably be addressing the clone allegations.

In the trailer, he can be seen sitting at a piano and there’s a live band behind him, so presumably he’ll be serenading the audience as well. (Foxx is also a Grammy winner.)

“What Had Happened Was…...

“Jamie Foxx literally died,” reads a voiceover in the trailer for Foxx’s new Netflix special, before the comedian triumphantly walks out onstage and proclaims, “I’m back!”

Streaming Dec. 10, the highly anticipated comedy hour, titled “What Had Happened Was…,” sees Foxx telling the truth behind his 2023 medical emergency that left him hospitalized and fighting for his life. In the special, Foxx discusses his deep gratitude to those who prayed for his recovery — and he addresses the online speculation surrounding his health.

“I’m so glad to see y’all here. I’m so glad to be here. What had happened was…” Foxx says in the brief clip previewing the special, which was filmed in Atlanta in October.

In April 2023, the Oscar and Grammy winner was sidelined by a sudden, serious medical complication and hospitalized in Atlanta. An official cause for the emergency has yet to be disclosed, though Foxx...

Jamie Foxx is set to speak about his 2023 hospitalization in his upcoming Netflix stand-up special.

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was will launch on the streamer on December 10, and as you can see in a trailer for the show, the comedian is addressing rumors that he “literally died” or was a “clone”.

“I’m back and I’m so glad to be here,” he says in the clip.

Foxx has yet to publicly address what really happened when he was rushed to hospital in April 2023 so it will be interesting to see what he’s willing to reveal in the show.

The special is produced by Done + Dusted and Foxxhole with Hamish Hamilton directing. Hamilton and Foxx exec produce alongside Marcus King, Datari Turner, James Longman, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan.

It comes ahead of the launch of Back in Action, the action film that Foxx stars in alongside Cameron Diaz,...

Conan O’Brien is to host the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025 in what will be the talk show host and comedian’s first time in the role.

He picks up the baton from Jimmy Kimmel who hosted the past two Oscar ceremonies.

O’Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan. He currently hosts the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and recently starred in HBO Max travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go.

Live television event producer Raj Kapoor returns as executive producer and showrunner,...

Jamie Foxx is ready to open up about his serious medical emergency in the best way he knows how, through comedy. The Oscar-winning actor's upcoming Netflix special, What Had Happened Was..., secures a release date for the holiday season.

Per Variety, What Had Happened Was..., which shows Foxx sharing the events that led to his sudden medical emergency in the spring of last year, premieres via Netflix on Dec. 10. Netflix won a bidding war for the upcoming comedy special, Foxx's first since 2003. Foxx executive produced the special, with Hamish Hamilton directing it.

Related Cameron Diaz Defends Jamie Foxx Against Rumors of Diva Behavior on Netflix Movie Set

Jamie Foxx receives backing from co-star Cameron Diaz following rumors of his behind-the-scenes behavior while filming Back in Action.

Foxx shot What Had Happened Was...over a three-night stretch in Atlanta last month, addressing the many online rumors surrounding his medical complications and...

Jamie Foxx is ready to laugh off a medical scare. On Friday, Netflix announced that the actor will release a one-hour comedy special titled What Had Happened Was… on Dec. 10.

“I said, ‘If I can stay funny, I can stay alive,'” says Foxx in a short teaser for the special. “I’m back.”

The premiere date arrives several weeks after he headlined three nights in Atlanta, where the stand-up special was filmed, and shared that he said he felt “filled with nothing but pure joy” after telling his “side...

Jamie Foxx has teased his upcoming Netflix comedy special that is set to explain his mysterious medical complication last year.

In a brief trailer revealing the special’s premiere date that dropped on Friday, Foxx explains, “I said, ‘If I can stay funny, I can stay alive.” The exact details of Foxx’s medical issue in 2023 have not been fully released publicly.

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… will premiere globally on the streaming platform on Dec. 10.

During the teaser trailer, a curtain goes up to reveal a shadowy figure on a concert stage, presumably Foxx, with the words “I’m back!” echoing in the background.

Foxx was hospitalized for a “medical complication” in April 2023, but few details to explain the health scare have been heard publicly from the Oscar-winning actor. In a July 2023 Instagram post, Foxx shared his appreciation for his sister and daughter and their support throughout his health recovery,...

Netflix announced on Friday that Jamie Foxx’s new comedy special What Had Happened Was, addressing his recent medical scare, will premiere globally on the platform on December 10.

Watch a teaser for his first hour since the early 2000s above.

Directed by Hamish Hamilton, What Had Happened Was will offer a deep dive into Foxx’s experience with his April 2023 medical emergency, while filming the Netflix action comedy Back in Action, that left him hospitalized and in recovery for several months. Although the exact cause was kept private, Foxx later shared that he faced “dire straits” and felt close to death during the ordeal, which began suddenly with intense symptoms.

Foxx revealed that he would address the situation in more depth earlier this year, while being honored by the African American Film Critics Association, but said he would do so “in a funny way.”

A post on Foxx’s Instagram page promoting the show,...

Jamie Foxx’s upcoming stand-up special “What Had Happened Was…” will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 10.

In the new comedy hour, the actor will discuss the medical emergency that left him hospitalized and fighting for his life last year.

In April 2023, the Oscar and Grammy winner was sidelined by a sudden, serious medical complication and hospitalized in Atlanta. An official cause for the emergency has yet to be disclosed, though Foxx has alluded to the severity of his condition in the months since. Most recently, he revealed (via Art of Dialogue) that it started with a “bad headache,” but then he was “gone for 20 days” and woke up with no memory of what happened.

Earlier this year, while being honored by the African American Film Critics Association, Foxx revealed that he would finally tell the world what happened to him, but he planned to “do it in a funny way.

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...

Kendrick Lamar to perform on the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime

Plans are being confirmed for Super Bowl Lix as the 2024 NFL season is kicking off. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced today that Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Super Bowl to be held at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

Super Bowl Lix will take place on Sunday, February 9, 2025.

Responding to the announcement, Lamar said, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

The Grammy and Emmy winner is the co-founder of creative imprint pgLang. Lamar’s won 17 Grammys and is in the record books as the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album Damn.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” stated Shawn Jay-Z Carter.

Kendrick Lamar will perform at the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl Lix Halftime show, Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL announced on Sunday.

Super Bowl Lix is scheduled to be played on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and will air on Fox.

The performance will be Lamar’s second during the halftime show, following his featured spot during Dr. Dre’s 2022 all-star tag team of Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. It also follows Lamar’s musical battle with Drake earlier this year, which not only resulted in a resounding win for the Compton-born rapper, but one of the year’s biggest songs with “Not Like Us.”

That spirit continues with Lamar’s statement about the move: “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” he said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.

Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl Lix halftime show.

Roc Nation, NFL and Apple Music made the announcement on Sunday, and the big game will take place on Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It will air on Fox.

Lamar previously performed at the hip-hop heavy 2022 halftime show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. All of the performers, along with executive producers Jay-Z and Jesse Collins, won the outstanding live variety special Emmy for the epic performance. Creative direction for Lamar’s upcoming performance will be provided by pgLang, the creative company founded by the rap star and his close collaborator Dave Free, the filmmaker and producer who has directed or co-directed the majority of Lamar’s music videos.

“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why.

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...

Tom Cruise has leapt from great heights under the guidance of Ben Winston, co-founder of Fulwell73 and creative producer of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 handover, one time before.

This time, however, it was different. The whole world was watching.

Cruise, who previously jumped out a plane alongside James Corden on The Late Late Show, which was exec produced by Winston, revved up the Paris Olympics closing ceremony Sunday as he started the engine on the handover to L.A. for the 2028 Summer Games.

After Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo passed the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (the first Black woman mayor to receive the official Olympic flag during a Closing Ceremony), and Simone Biles (the most decorated U.S. female gymnast of all time), Cruise leapt into the Stade de France before taking off on his motorcycle.

Related: Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony In Pictures

The Mission: Impossible star,...