America Ferrera to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Oscars

Win or lose, America Ferrera will be taking the Oscars stage…

The 39-year-old Honduran American actress, who earned her first-ever Academy Awards nod this year for her performance in Barbie, will serve as a presenter at Sunday’s Oscars.

She’s part of a roster of new presenters that includes Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Sally Field, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Grande, Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz and Forest Whitaker.

They join previous announced presenters Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The Oscars will be broadcast live on March 10 ceremony from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the ceremony for a fourth time.

ABC, which has aired the Oscars since 1976, is televising the show live starting at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT — an hour earlier that usual. The network, which has begun to use the Oscars as a lead-out to showcase its top programming, will follow its coverage of the live ceremony with an original episode of Abbott Elementary.

ABC’s time tweak also means that its annual pre-show will now run for 30 minutes — instead of the usual 90 — beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. As per usual, the main Oscar telecast will be rebroadcast in the Pacific Time zone in primetime after the live presentation.

Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the 96th Oscars, with Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing.

Colman Domingo to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Screen Actors Guild Awards

Win or lose, Colman Domingo will be taking the stage at the SAG Awards

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor, who is nominated for two SAG Awards, is among 30 presenters announced for the 30th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards set for Saturday in Los Angeles.

Colman DomingoDomingo is among a roster of presenters that includes America Ferrera, nominated for being part of the cast of Barbie, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, Jessica Chastain, Erika Alexander, Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Cera, Robert Downey Jr., Fran Drescher, Phil Dunster, Billie Eilish, , Brendan Fraser, Taraji P. Henson, Troy Kotsur, Greta Lee, Melissa McCarthy, Cillian Murphy, Glen Powell, Issa Rae, Storm Reid, Tracee Ellis Ross, Alexander Skarsgård, Omar Sy, Hannah Waddingham, Naomi Watts and Jeffrey Wright.

More presenters will be announced later.

Elba will open the ceremony, which has been host-free since 2021, and Aniston will present the 59th SAG Life Achievement Award to legendary actor, singer, producer, writer and director Barbra Streisand.

Barbie and Oppenheimer lead with four nominations apiece in the film races, while on the TV side the last season of Succession scored five nominations to top the field.

Barbie and Oppenheimer are joined in the Cast category by American Fiction, The Color Purple and Killers of the Flower Moon, with each scoring multiple nominations.

The SAG Awards historically have been an almost certain predictor of future Oscars success. Last year, Everything Everywhere All at Once scored the ensemble Cast trophy as well as wins for Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Kwan — all four repeated the feat later at the Oscars, as did SAG Best Actor winner Brendan Frasier from The Whale.

Winners in SAG’s 15 categories will be announced Saturday, February 24 at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix.

America Ferrera to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Golden Globes

America Ferrera will be hitting the Golden Globes stage…

The full lineup of presenters for Sunday’s Golden Globes is set, with the 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress among the artists set to hand out trophies at the Beverly Hilton.

America Ferrera

Ferrera, a Golden Globe winner for Ugly Betty and Barbie star, appears on a list of preseners that includes Amanda Seyfried, Andra Day, Angela Bassett, Annette Bening, Ben Affleck, Daniel Kaluuya, Don Cheadle, Dua Lipa, Elizabeth Banks, Florence Pugh, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Gabriel Macht, George Lopez, Hailee Steinfeld, Hunter Schafer, Issa Rae, Jared Leto, Jodie Foster, Jon Batiste, Jonathan Bailey, Julia Garner, Justin Hartley, Kate Beckinsale, Keri Russell, Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, Matt Damon, Michelle Yeoh, Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Patrick J. Adams, Ray Romano, Rose McIver, Shameik Moore, Simu Liu, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Will Ferrell.

Jo Koy will host the Golden Globes, which will honor the year’s best in motion pictures and television.

The ceremony will air beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Among this year’s Golden Globe nominees in 26 categories, 2023’s box office champ Barbie from Warner Bros leads all films with nine, followed by Universal’Oppenheimer with eight and Apple’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Searchlight’s Poor Things with seven apiece.

In the TV races, HBO’s final go-round with Succession has nine noms, the most-ever for a series, scoring mentions in all categories in which it was eligible.

Max Releases Trailer for Scott Mescudi’s Animated Series “Young Love”

Scott Mescudi is getting animated…

Max has released the official trailer for Young Love, the animated series spinoff of the Oscar-winning short Hair Love that stars the 39-year-old rapper/singer and actor also known as Kid Cudi.

Kid CudiThe 12-episode season premieres with four episodes on Thursday, September 21 on Max and continues with four episodes weekly, leading up to the season finale on October 5.

From creator Matthew A. Cherry and Sony Pictures AnimationYoung Love takes a look into the lives of African American millennial parents Stephen Love (Mescudi) and Angela Young (Issa Rae) as they experience the relatable ups and downs of modern life.

In remission following a battle with cancer, Angela struggles to balance her work as a stylist with the demands of parenthood, while Stephen attempts to carve out a career as a musician in an ultra-competitive industry. Along with their fearless daughter Zuri (Brooke Monroe Conaway), this tight-knit Chicago family juggles careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics while striving to make a better life for themselves.

“Welcome to my castle,” Zuri tells one of her friends as they enter her apartment. “You can drop your bag on the floor. My mom and dad will get them.”

“Are we the help?” Stephen asks. “Worse,” Angela responds. “We’re parents.”

Voice cast also includes Loretta Devine (Gigi Young), Harry Lennix (Russell Young), Tamar Braxton (Star), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Sheree), Debra Wilson (Additional Voices) and others.

The series is produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera, Becomes Highest-Grossing Movie of the Year in North America

America Ferrera is a box office champ…

Barbie, starring the 39-year-old Honduran American Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress, is officially the highest-grossing movie of the year in North America.America Ferrera, BarbieGreta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has generated $575.4 million at the domestic box office, overtaking the previous champion, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has collected $574 million domestically.

Barbie has grossed $1.3 billion globally and will soon surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie (with $1.35 billion globally) as the biggest worldwide release of 2023 as well.

Only two Hollywood blockbusters this year have crossed the $1 billion mark and, notably, neither were superhero adventures or sequels in popular franchises.

Barbie started its record-breaking theatrical run in July with the best debut of the year ($162 million) and remained the No. 1 movie for four consecutive weekends. It also landed the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman and became the highest-grossing movie directed solely by a woman.

At this point, Barbie is the 14th-biggest domestic release and 20th-biggest global release of all time.

Barbie also recently surpassed Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic The Dark Knight ($536 million) as the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history. It could eventually eclipse 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($1.34 billion) as the studio’s highest-grossing worldwide release in 100 years.

Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated director of Lady Bird and Little Women, co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach. The cotton candy-colored blockbuster follows the popular doll as she leaves behind the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land to discover the highs and lows of life in the real world. The cast also includes Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu and Michael Cera.

Jacob Romero Joins Cast of Issa Rae’s Max series “Rap Sh!t” for Season Two

Jacob Romero is taking the Rap (Sh!t)

The 26-year-old part-Latino actor has joined the Season 2 cast of Issa Rae’s Max series Rap Sh!t in a key recurring role.

Jacob RomeroRap Sh!t follows two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), who reunite to form a rap group. In their rise to fame, Shawna and Mia find themselves at a pivotal moment in their rap career as they are forced to decide if they will stay true to themselves or conform to the demands of the music industry.

Romero will play Lord AK, a notable musician/rapper from Los Angeles who is headlining a U.S. tour.

Rap Sh!t is created and executive produced by Rae for Hoorae. Syreeta Singleton serves as showrunner and executive produces alongside Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry for 3 Arts Entertainment and Jim Kleverweis.

Hip-hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films, and Sara Rastogi and Jax Clark for Hoorae Rae’s Audio Everywhere Company, Raedio, handles music supervision for the series.

Romero played AJ in OWN’s Greenleaf and will next be seen in Netflix’s upcoming live-action pirate adventure series One Piece. His other TV credits include Grey’s AnatomyAll Rise and The Resident.

Ana Cruz Kayne to Star in Warner Bros. & Mattel’s Upcoming “Barbie” Film

Ana Cruz Kayne is getting dolled up…

The 37-year-old Latina actress will star in Warner Bros. and Mattel’s upcoming Barbie film

Ana Cruz KayneCruz Kayne is part of a roster of new cast additions that include Kingsley Ben-AdirRhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya and Jamie Demetriou.

They join Margot Robbie, who will star in the titular role, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrara, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Hari Nef and Will Ferrell.

Greta Gerwig is directing and co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach.

Plot details are unknown, but given Gerwig’s track record as a director, one can expect this won’t be a typical take on the doll’s story.

Robbie is producing the film under her LuckyChap Entertainment production banner along with LuckyChap’s Tom Ackerley.

The film will be released worldwide sometime in 2023.

Guillermo del Toro to Receive ‘Hall of Fame Award’ During Final Draft Awards

Guillermo del Toro has earned a spot in the Final (Draft)…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker will be among the honorees for screenwriting excellence at the 17th annual Final Draft Awards, which will be presented in a virtual ceremony on March 16.

Guillermo del Torodel Toro will be honored alongside Jane CampionNicole HolofcenerDanny Strong, Jeymes Samuel, and Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson.

del Toro, whose current film is Nightmare Alley, will be presented with the Hall of Fame Award, honoring a writer whose body of work has had a profound influence on the industry.

The inaugural Trailblazer Award will go to Oscar-winning filmmaker Campion who is currently winning much acclaim for her latest film The Power of the Dog; the honor recognizes a writer whose career exudes excellence and who consistently tells compelling and bold stories.

Two Storyteller Awards will be presented recognizing writers who consistently maintain a level of excellence and surpass expectations. Academy Award nominee Holofcener will receive the Storyteller Award (Film) for The Last Duelon which she collaborated with stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Two-time Emmy winner Strong will receive the Storyteller Award (TV) for the limited series Dopesick, currently streaming on Hulu. Additionally, Final Draft will present two New Voice Awards recognizing rising and vital talents in the industry: The New Voice Award (TV) to Lyle and Nickerson, the husband-and-wife writer-producer team behind Showtime’s Yellowjacketsand The New Voice Award (Film) to Samuel whose feature debut The Harder They Fall is currently streaming on Netflix.

“Storytellers have been revered throughout history for their ability to connect us,” Final Draft president Shelly Mellott said Wednesday. “This year’s honorees are using their considerable talents to tell brave, audacious stories in imaginative ways that entertain, provoke and enlighten audiences. We could not be more proud to honor them and their outstanding work and the impact their stories have on our culture.”

Final Draft, the screenwriting software company, has previously honored the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Nancy Meyers, Aaron Sorkin, Lawrence Kasdan, Paul Schrader, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, Callie Khouri, Steven Zaillian, Robert Towne, Oliver Stone and Sydney Pollack, among others.

The Storyteller Award was introduced in 2021 and was presented to Steve McQueen and Sofia Coppola. The New Voice Award was introduced in 2017 with recipients including Ramy Yousef, Steven Canals, Lulu Wang, Liz Hannah, Issa Rae, Boots Riley, Radha Blank and Tanya Saracho.

Showtime Renews The Kid Mero’s Late Night Talk Show “Desus & Mero” for Fourth Season

There are more late nights in The Kid Mero’s future…

Showtime has ordered a fourth season of the 38-year-old Dominican American comedian and television personality’s (real name Joel Martinez) late night show with his co-host Desus Nice, Desus & Mero, which is set to be released in 2022.

The Kid Mero

The series, which debuted in 2016 on Viceland before moving to Showtime three years later, is the network’s first-ever late-night talk show. In each episode, the longtime friends discuss the day’s hot topics and interview some of the biggest names from the world of pop culture, sports, music, and politics.

Season 3 currently airs weekly on Sunday and Thursday nights at 11:00 pm ET/PT from New York City through December 12. This season’s guests include Stacey Abrams, Zendaya, John David Washington, Ludacris, Delroy Lindo, Glenn Close, J Balvin, Andra Day, Issa Rae, Lil Nas X, Barry Jenkins, and Zazie Beetz, among others.

Desus and Mero returned to their newly revamped studio in June after the pandemic forced them to shoot their show remotely since March 2020. The pair bought their own facility just before the pandemic — the old Al Jazeera studio, complete with bulletproof glass — having previously shot at the CBS Studio in New York.

Desus & Mero is produced for Showtime by JAX Media. It’s executive produced by Desus Nice, The Kid Mero, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernandez, Victor Lopez, Suzanne Fagel, and Mike Pielocik.

Gloria Calderón Kellett Appointed to Television Academy’s Executive Committee

Gloria Calderón Kellett is joining the Television Academy’s executive committee…

The 45-year-old Latina television writer, creator and One Day at a Time executive producer is among the six new appointees to organization’s executive committee, as chosen by the organization’s chairman and CEO, Frank Scherma.

Gloria Calderón Kellett

Calderón Kellett is joined by Issa Rae, Rob Mills, Anonymous Content’s Dawn Olmstead, Amazon StudiosVernon Sanders and Apple TV PlusZack Van Amburg.

“We are thrilled to be able to leverage the collective expertise of this talented group of Television innovators as we navigate this extraordinary time in the history of our industry,” Scherma said. “Their leadership provides invaluable insight that will allow the Academy to play an integral role in shaping the evolution of the medium.”

The six appointees will work closely with the Television Academy’s officers and board of governors to develop and guide the direction of the Academy for the 2021 term, the organization said.

Here’s more on Scherma’s new executive committee members:

Gloria Calderón Kellett: Executive producer, co-creator, co-showrunner, director and actress on One Day at a Time. Other credits as a writer/producer include Devious Maids, Rules of Engagement and How I Met Your Mother. She also directed episodes of Mr. Iglesias, Merry Happy Whatever, United We Fall and the Mad About You revival; and recently sold her first feature film, We Were There Too.

Robert Mills: Senior vice president, alternative series, specials and late-night programming, ABC Entertainment. Mills oversees development, current production and specials for ABC, with shows such as “American Idol,” “Shark Tank,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” He also handles late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and the “Fun & Games” programming block.

 

Dawn Olmstead: Recently named CEO and partner of Anonymous Content. Prior to that, she served as president of Universal Content Productions, overseeing all creative and business operations of scripted and non-scripted content for the studio.

Issa Rae: Actress, writer and producer. She created and stars in HBO’s “Insecure,” for which she has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Rae’s film credits include “The Hate U Give,” “The Lovebirds” and “Coastal Elites.”

Vernon Sanders: Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios. Sanders oversees scripted and unscripted original programming produced for Prime Video and IMDb TV alongside Albert Cheng, including “Fleabag,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and “The Boys.” Prior to Amazon, Sanders served as executive vice president, current programming for NBC.

Zack Van Amburg: Chief content officer and head of worldwide video for Apple TV Plus. Van Amburg oversees all aspects of strategy for video programming globally including the launch of the platform. Prior to Apple, he served as president of Sony Pictures Television.

Meanwhile also elected to the Academy’s board of governors as representatives on the executive committee for the 2021 term: Eva Basler, daytime programming; Kim Coleman, casting directors; Nicole Marostica, public relations; and Lois Vossen, documentary programming.

Cris Abrego, Chairman of the Americas, Banijay, and President and CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings, who was recently elected to serve a two-year term as the Television Academy foundation chair, will also serve on the Television Academy’s executive committee.