Latest news with #RachelBloom
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will the Oscars Leave ABC? Why the Hulu-Disney+ Merger Could Prevent a Split and Benefit Both Sides
Disney's planned 2026 integration of Hulu into Disney+ could represent more than streaming consolidation — it creates unprecedented opportunities for both Disney and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to reshape awards broadcasting for the streaming era. As the Academy's current ABC deal approaches its 2028 expiration, Disney's unified platform offers global reach while the Academy Awards provides Disney with a big launch platform and the prestige of hosting one of the year's biggest events in entertainment. More from Variety Rachel Bloom and Husband Dan Gregor Set Rom-Com Pilot 'Do You Want Kids?' at ABC Oscars Set Launch Date for First FYC Screeners: 'KPop Demon Hunters,' 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' and More (EXCLUSIVE) Czech Oscar Submission Controversy Heats Up as Abuse Drama 'Broken Voices' Accused of 'Fundamental Ethical Failure' and 'Misleading Claims' Disney's recent acquisition of Comcast's last remaining equity interest in Hulu paves the way for Disney and the Academy to come up with creative ways to showcase the Oscars via streaming. The last deal between the sides was set in 2016 — well before the launch of Disney+ and the rest of the streaming explosion. 'If the Oscars stay at ABC, it represents the best of both worlds,' a veteran awards strategist tells Variety. 'Disney aligns with cinema's most prestigious institution, while the Academy gains wider streaming reach.' The March 2025 dual-platform experiment — broadcast on ABC, streamed on Hulu — delivered promising results. The Oscars attracted 19.7 million viewers, a rare 1% increase that bucked years of audience decline. The experiment gave Disney valuable live-streaming data while the Academy reached expanded its reach beyond linear to streaming viewers who want more flexibility in options for watching even a live awards show event. The Academy's broader initiatives — education, philanthropy and the Academy Museum — align with Disney's content ecosystem spanning ABC Signature, 20th Television, FX and streaming services. This also opens doors to year-round Academy programming such as documentaries, behind-the-scenes features and Disney+ exclusive educational content. A long-term and wide-ranging agreement could create yield experimentation opportunities such as interactive Oscar experiences, international filmmaker showcases and member-exclusive content. However, the $100 million question remains: How are talks progressing between the two parties? Both sides have remained tight-lipped. Sources with direct knowledge tell Variety negotiations are 'going well and moving along.' Early speculation indicated that Disney chief Bob Iger wanted to wait on the deal until the Mouse House has set his successor as CEO, which is expected to come early next year. But Academy leaders don't want to wait that long. Both ABC and the Academy declined to comment. Industry insiders predict clarity on ABC and the Oscars' future by year's end. Newly appointed AMPAS President Lynette Howell Taylor, an Oscar-nominated producer for Bradley Cooper's directorial debut 'A Star is Born,' brings deep industry ties from producing the 92nd Academy Awards — the 'Parasite' year. Although she can only serve a one-year term due to board term limits, she would be allowed to return after a two-year hiatus. She would be a valuable asset to bring this over the finish line. Disney's technological infrastructure offers capabilities beyond traditional broadcasters — second-screen experiences, real-time engagement and global distribution. For the Academy, the priority remains reaching younger, more diverse audiences critical for long-term relevance. But sources caution that other media platforms have expressed strong interest to AMPAS in having discussions about Oscars. Despite its long relationship with AMPAS, Disney will have to make them a compelling offer or risk being out-bid by a rival. As negotiations advance, the potential for a continued partnership for the Oscars and Disney — or if a new player will jump into the mix — will be one of the most pressing questions for filmdom insiders in the coming months. Which partner will help define how global audiences engage with prestige movies while preserving the artistic excellence both institutions represent? Only time will tell. Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rachel Bloom and Husband Dan Gregor Set Rom-Com Pilot ‘Do You Want Kids?' at ABC
'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' creator-star Rachel Bloom and her husband, writer and comedian Dan Gregor, have set a comedy pilot at ABC called 'Do You Want Kids?' Bloom and Gregor co-wrote the pilot, which follows 'a husband and wife who in one universe have a baby and the other do not, and the many ways that huge decision alters their lives.' More from Variety ABC to Develop Drama Based on High School Forensics Club That Solves Cold Cases How to Watch the 2025 ESPY Awards Online Without Cable 'High Potential' Season 2 Casts Mekhi Phifer (EXCLUSIVE) More to come… Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comedian Rachel Bloom says finding humor isn't hard despite industry's political correctness fears
Comedian and actress Rachel Bloom told Fox News Digital that she doesn't find it hard to be funny, despite concerns from other comedians that political correctness has taken over the industry. Bloom acknowledged that "culturally" comedy changes over time, but she said that – in her opinion – the fear of being "canceled" does not impact her jokes. "For me, the way I approach writing and comedy is, 'What can I say about the world that I haven't seen another person say. Or what's a show I want to see – what's a joke I want to see that I haven't seen, and usually servicing that – there are things to navigate – but as long as I'm servicing that, that's my North Star," Bloom told Fox News during an event over the weekend focused on preserving funding for the arts. Christopher Rufo: Cancel Culture's Rules Are Changing And Conservatives Can Seize The Day "I'm never be the comedian that was like, 'Let me make people angry.' That's just not my thing," Bloom added. "I kind of, almost look at it like 'Shark Tank,' where it's like, 'What's a need? What's a need I can fill?' Which is why I went into musical comedy in the first place." While Bloom seems less fazed by the thought of being canceled over her jokes, other comedians like Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, Bill Burr, Chris Rock and others have been outspoken with their complaints about the current environment for comedians. Read On The Fox News App "It started off with something everyone could agree on, and then quickly it just spun out of control. I remember whenever that cancel culture got to the point of where it was, 'I don't like some of the topics in your stand up act,' right? That's when it got weird," Burr told fellow comedian Bill Maher on an episode of his "Club Random" podcast. Ex-new York Times Journalist Recalls Being 'Disgusted' By Newsroom Cancel Culture, Says The Paper Allowed It "Everybody's scared to make a move," Rock said on an episode on "The Breakfast Club" morning radio show. "That's not a place to be. You know, we should have the right to fail because failure, failure is a part of art." For Bloom, however, cancel culture is less of a concern, she says, because her focus is not on making people angry but rather trying "to make audiences understand where I'm coming from." "I just finished working on my Netflix special which was all about death, so it was more me telling a candid story about what happened to me in 2020 when I gave birth during COVID and my writing partner passed away," Bloom recounted. "I've had a really good experience, because, again, I've been sharing my stories and that's why I really love connecting with live audiences and sharing where I'm at. I've always – I always really – I don't know I'm candid with my own journey. I try to make audiences understand where I'm coming from and that's always been my style."Original article source: Comedian Rachel Bloom says finding humor isn't hard despite industry's political correctness fears
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Every Day Action Found a Way to Feed the Hungry, Cut Waste on Film Sets — and Hire Out-of-Work Crew Members
On a recent Tuesday, Samantha Luu and Arun Goswami are sorting day-old cupcakes and loaves of artisan bread in a warehouse on Alvarado Street as they wait for texts to come in from TV shoots across Los Angeles. But 'Nobody Wants This,' filming in Eagle Rock, doesn't have any leftovers from its crew meal, and neither does 'The Lincoln Lawyer,' shooting at L.A. Center Studios. So Arun moves on to plan B: delivering hundreds of pounds of leftover Whole Foods baked goods to partners like the Hollywood Food Coalition. More from Variety At a 'Reefer Madness' Reunion Concert, Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell and Other Cast Veterans Retell the Satirical Show's History Via Signature Songs and Cut Numbers Rachel Bloom Sets One-Woman Musical Comedy 'Death, Let Me Do My Show' as a Netflix Special 'Frasier' Adds Harriet Sansom Harris, Reprising Her Agent Role, and Rachel Bloom to Season 2 Guest Cast (EXCLUSIVE) It's a typical day at Every Day Action, which was launched by former assistant directors Hillary Cohen and Luu in 2020 to help eliminate waste on productions. Drivers from the nonprofit crisscross the city, stopping by the sets of shows including 'Abbott Elementary,' 'NCIS,' '9-1-1' and 'The Pitt.' 'We were kind of sick of how much food was thrown out, and during COVID, we decided to do something about it,' says Cohen, who now runs Every Day Action full time. Today, the organization distributes more than 85,000 meals a year, feeding unhoused people, veterans and families through charities such as Bridge to Home, SELAH and Alexandria House. 'We go from Santa Clarita to San Pedro every day following film production, and we pick up the gourmet leftover catering at the end of lunch and then deliver it,' explains Cohen. Luu and Cohen work out of a warehouse in Historic Filipinotown called the Food Insecurity Shared Hub or FISH, where several organizations coordinate storage of food and other supplies before redistributing it. The goal is to expand the warehouse for cold and pallet storage so that food can also be accepted at night and stored until the next day. To that end, Every Day Action's third annual celebrity fundraising gala is set for May 17, with Rachel Bloom tapped to host. At the gala, Noah Wyle will present the Heart of Humanity award to 'The Pitt' showrunner R. Scott Gemmil. Tickets for a pre-gala happy hour are still available. Though film and TV production is down across the city, Cohen says commercials are holding strong. 'We haven't seen that big of a decline, and commercials actually do have a significant amount of food waste because they're just like a two-day shoot,' she says. Funded by grants from the Annenberg Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, along with support from entertainment companies, Every Day Action is helping to employ film industry workers too. 'We pay production assistants and background artists and really anyone in the business who is struggling, when we can afford to, to be our drivers,' says Cohen. Van driver Goswami worked in craft services for eight years, then saw jobs taper off. 'It was never this slow,' he says, 'I wasn't really ready for a career change.' Cohen says the Every Day approach is three-pronged — addressing the problem of food waste, hiring embattled production workers and feeding people in need. She worries the pressure will only mount. 'It's going to become a much bigger crisis over the next two years as the cost of food goes up, as job loss continues to increase,' she predicts. 'Food insecurity in Los Angeles and the United States is really going to grow at an exponential rate.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in May 2025 What's Coming to Disney+ in May 2025
Fox News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Comedian Rachel Bloom says finding humor isn't hard despite industry's political correctness fears
Comedian and actress Rachel Bloom told Fox News Digital that she doesn't find it hard to be funny, despite concerns from other comedians that political correctness has taken over the industry. Bloom acknowledged that "culturally" comedy changes over time, but she said that – in her opinion – the fear of being "canceled" does not impact her jokes. "For me, the way I approach writing and comedy is, 'What can I say about the world that I haven't seen another person say. Or what's a show I want to see – what's a joke I want to see that I haven't seen, and usually servicing that – there are things to navigate – but as long as I'm servicing that, that's my North Star," Bloom told Fox News during an event over the weekend focused on preserving funding for the arts. "I'm never be the comedian that was like, 'Let me make people angry.' That's just not my thing," Bloom added. "I kind of, almost look at it like 'Shark Tank,' where it's like, 'What's a need? What's a need I can fill?' Which is why I went into musical comedy in the first place." While Bloom seems less fazed by the thought of being canceled over her jokes, other comedians like Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, Bill Burr, Chris Rock and others have been outspoken with their complaints about the current environment for comedians. "It started off with something everyone could agree on, and then quickly it just spun out of control. I remember whenever that cancel culture got to the point of where it was, 'I don't like some of the topics in your stand up act,' right? That's when it got weird," Burr told fellow comedian Bill Maher on an episode of his "Club Random" podcast. "Everybody's scared to make a move," Rock said on an episode on "The Breakfast Club" morning radio show. "That's not a place to be. You know, we should have the right to fail because failure, failure is a part of art." For Bloom, however, cancel culture is less of a concern, she says, because her focus is not on making people angry but rather trying "to make audiences understand where I'm coming from." "I just finished working on my Netflix special which was all about death, so it was more me telling a candid story about what happened to me in 2020 when I gave birth during COVID and my writing partner passed away," Bloom recounted. "I've had a really good experience, because, again, I've been sharing my stories and that's why I really love connecting with live audiences and sharing where I'm at. I've always – I always really – I don't know I'm candid with my own journey. I try to make audiences understand where I'm coming from and that's always been my style."
