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Initial numbers for last night’s Oscars were close to 19 million. That’s up from last year, and the biggest numbers of all awards shows this season. ABC says total viewers came to 18.7 mil, up 12% from last year.
The Academy Awards brought in three times the number of the Golden Globes from back in January, too.
The show was so well produced and moving, and funny, that there will surely be a lot of delayed viewing before the finals come in tomorrow.
Jimmy Kimmel should definitely return next year. He got high marks from everyone I spoke to during the show and afterwards at the sensational Governor’s Ball, where the actual “governors” — the boards of directors — were ecstatic with how things had gone.
It helped that most of the show’s participants rode the escalators to the big ballroom, where power players like “Top Gun” producer Jerry Bruckheimer and all the actors lined up at the dozen so Wolfgang Puck food stations for mouth watering dishes including mini flat “Oscars” of smoked salmon, and very high calorie desserts that will send all the guests to the gym this morning!
So it’s great news ratings-wise, as the Oscars make a comeback from the pandemic. Next year, presumably, Very Big Movies will be on the agenda, and even higher numbers!
You know that Elton John retired from touring last November. But he did not “retire” in any sense.
Last night Elton and David Furnish threw their annual Oscar gala dinner party etc and raised $9 million for AIDS research and funding.
Elton performed for the first time since his retirement, with singer-songwriter and actress Rina Sawayama. The video is below.
Tons of celebrities watched and gave standing ovations including the evening’s hosts, Eric McCormack and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, plus Big Names like Smokey Robinson, Maren Morris, Fan Bingbing, Emma Watson, Wiz Khalifa, Heidi Klum, Dove Cameron, Hilary Duff, Brooke Shields, Lucien Laviscount, Noah Schnapp, Kesha, Rege Jean-Page, Saweetie, Stella Maxwell, Tyga, Sharon Osboure, Sophia Bush, Donatella Versace, Maggie Rogers, Jenna Dewan, Julianne Hough, Karen Pittman, Simona Tabasco, Michael Imperioli.
Unlike the Vanity Fair party across town, the Elton Party means something and does an enormous amount of good for the world, and you can feel it all night. The vibe is not about self-congratulation but continuing a worldwide effort to contribute to health and well being. What a difference!
Plus, all the dinner party guests — the major donors — got a pair of exclusive “Spotlight” sunglass frame from the Elton John Eyewear collection. And then the night ended with an electric performance by Rina Sawayama, who performed “Minor Feelings,“ “Hold The Girl,” and ‘This Hell.’” And then came the duet of Chosen Family” seen below.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted an actually enjoyable show that made light of Will Smith’s slap from last year but managed to showcase the upbeat side of Hollywood. The winners reflected the odd nature of post-pandemic film business in which strange movies like “Everyone Everywhere All at Once” and “The Whale” snatched victory from cinematic betters like “Tar,” “The Fabelmans,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
It was the year of nostalgic voting, where actors like Brendan Fraser and Jamie Lee Curtis elicited comeback sympathies from fans who grew up with them. And then were was Ke Huy Quan, whose own story of surviving Hollywood hit a nerve with every Academy voter, and Michelle Yeoh, who put in four decades and deserved a reward.
And then there was Netflix, which has spent millions over the last six or seven years but hasn’t come up with a Best Picture. This year they eked out Best Animated Feature and Best International Film, with a total of four statues going to “All Quiet on the Western Front.” But they were outplayed in the main categories.
What really made this year’s show: the musical performances. Lady Gaga’s last minute stripped down “Hold My Hand” was inspirational. David Byrne, Son Lux, and Stephanie Hsu brought avant garde genius to the proceedings. Diane Warren and Sofia Carson’s “Applause” was incrediby moving. Rihanna sang her heart out. The winner of Best Song, cast of “RRR,” lit up the Dolby Theater with “Naatu Naatu.”
The Oscars producers followed a path that’s turned up lately in awards shows. To streamline them and move it along, some presenters give two awards. This cuts down on introductions and people entering and exiting the stage. This works to the extent that it’s economical, but it also has a numbing effect. Some of the drama of opening the envelopes is lost, but maybe we can sacrifice it.
My only quibble with this year’s show is that other than Harrison Ford, the upper echelon of old Hollywood seems lost. I wish we’d see Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Shirley Maclaine, Cher, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and so on presenting awards. There’s an ever encroaching feeling that the era of the movie star is over. This lack of real authority bears out in photos from after parties like Vanity Fair’s, which is now loaded with TV and reality stars, models, and tabloid subjects.
Still, last night’s show was a success for the Academy, a huge step back on the road to making the Oscars relevant. More tomorrow from the Governor’s Ball, a fizzy shindig filled with hot gossip and great food!
Saturday night, Oscar weekend. Plenty of parties, some successful, others kind of meh.
The big show off was Armani on Rodeo Drive for their annual jam packed get together. This one had Michelle Yeoh as special guest, with her pals from “EEAAO” Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, plus Harry Shum all in attendance.
Ke Huy Quan is the star of the season, isn’t he? Everyone loves him, he loves everyone, he’s still so excited and overwhelmed you can see the bubbles coming out of his ears! I asked him if, with all this new money and fame at age 53, has he bought anything? A new car? A house? “No!” he cried, “I’m really making sure I have no changes, just living as I always have. I haven’t even taken a new job. I just wanted to experience and remember everything. That’s why we take so many selfies. To have a record of what happened!”
Ke Huy’s wife, Echo, is a doll. She’s also smart: she did most of the translating on the “EEAAO” shoot. Their win tonight will be very satisfying. And yes, that’s a picture of us from the party. Ke is always smiling. (I look like his grandfather!)
Other Armani guests included Samuel L. Jackson and his Broadway director wife LaTanya Richardson, plus Petra Nemcova, super model Karolina Kurklova, “The Whale” star Brendan Fraser, “Creed” star Tessa Thompson, Allison Williams, Danny Ramirez of “Top Gun,” and Jet Li’s beautiful 22 year old daughter, Jane, who’s breaking into the acting world.
And no, there was no gift bag. Believe me, we asked. And even the security guards sported Armani jackets. I had second thoughts about trying to mug one of them on the way out1
Later last night, dining at Sunset Tower: George and Amal Clooney with Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. No, George will not be at the Oscars tonight. He told me: “I only go when I’m nominated.” He’s got 1 win and many noms. The Gerbers are rooting for Austin Butler for Best Actor in “Elvis.” And let me tell you, Cindy Crawford still looks exactly like Cindy Crawford. She’s amazing. Amal Clooney could be a model herself. PS George indicated his favorite movie of the year was “The Banshees of Inisherin.” He has good taste!
How do you top those four? All of a sudden none other than Stevie Wonder sauntered in with a group of six including Epic Records prez Sylvia Rhone, the only woman who runs a record company in the music biz. So that’s what they call power dining in Hollywood!
Earlier in the afternoon: the famed GBK gift suite took over the whole lobby and first floor of the LaPeer Hotel. Viola Davis came by, chauffeured in a $300,000 electric SUV, and picked up some cool products. Inside, I met the great, great actor Keith David, who deserves an Oscar himself. He does have three Emmy Awards, so he’s no slouch– plus an Outer Critics Award. Not bad!
Box office: Paramount is on a roll. Hyped up with “Top Gun Maverick” very hot coming into the Oscars and making a fortune, the venerable studio had a big weekend. “Scream VI” took in almost $45 million in just three days plus previews and was number 1.
What revived the “Scream” franchise The fright fest has good reviews, Courteney Cox, and a serious ingredient: Jenna Ortega, the “it” girl of the moment from “Wednesday,” the Addams Family series. That’s a recipe for success.
Elsewhere, “Creed III” hit $101 million, crossing the magic line a day or two earlier than expected. What happened? A crazy Saturday surge, unexpected, pushed them into a weekend headline. By most accounts, “Creed III” was lagging and shouldn’t have hit the mark until tomorrow or Tuesday. We’ll see if the guesstimate pans out.
Flops of the weekend: Adam Driver in “65,” which turned out to have a speed limit. Just $12 million, with bad reviews. Next time, call it “90.” And “Champions” were losers, sadly, A basketball movie with Woody Harrelson, “Champions” collapsed with $5.1 million. Woody Harrelson’s appearance last week on “SNL”: didn’t add to the bottom line. We’ll see that one on Peacock pretty quickly!
The Oscars are here at last on ABC, tonight at 8pm. What surprises are in store for us?
First of all, set your DVRs to tape “The Last of Us” on HBO. I haven’t seen it but I assure you, Joel and Ellie live even if something bad happens to them. The show is a huge hit. There will be a second season.
Anyway back to the Oscars: Will “Everything Everywhere” pull off a huge sweep? We know that Ke Huy Quan will win Best Supporting Actor right at the top of the show. He’s the one lock of the night. Michelle Yeoh is likely to take Best Actress, way at the end of the night. She’s almost a lock if Cate Blanchett doesn’t pull off an overturn.
But most everything else is up in the air. The nail biters will be at the very end. Will Steven Spielberg nab Best Director for “The Fabelmans”? Or will “EEAAO” be so strong that the Daniels take that spot. If they do, then their movie is Best Picture. If Spielberg wins, everyone will on the edge of their seats waiting for the last envelope.
There won’t be any slaps or violence of any kind. No cliffhanger there. This year security will be amped, plus everyone will want to be on their best behavior. It should be a funny and moving show, with Jimmy Kimmel at the steering wheel. He runs a live show five days a week. He knows how to do this.
Length of the show shouldn’t be an issue, either. Only four of the five Best Songs are being performed. Lady Gaga’s song will be acknowledged just in clips. That cuts down the time. There will be the usual focus on the In Memoriam section, with Lenny Kravitz singing and playing while the names flash by. There will be the usual “snubs,” of course: who didn’t make it? We’ll find out soon enough.
So get the popcorn, the drinks, and the ballots ready. And follow me from the Dolby Theater on Twitter @showbiz411.
Vanity Fair is busy erecting their huge temporary buildings in Beverly Hills for their Oscar party tonight.
But the magazine that used to have clout like crazy has been reduced to giving away magazines in the UK to pump up their circulation.
According to ABC, which does the auditing in the UK, Vanity Fair’s monthly circulation in Great Britain clocks in at just over 58K copies Sounds good until you see the breakdown: over 23,000 of those copies are free. They’re given away.
The actual paid circulation looks a lot different: just 18,634 in subscriber copies — which are deeply discounted — and 14,973 in single copies bought on the newsstand. Their digital issue number is insignificant — just 6,476.
In the US, which has a far bigger population, Vanity Fair sells 1.2 million magazines a year, or 120,000 per issue. This is a far cry from its halcyon days under Tina Brown and Graydon Carter. There’s no immediate breakdown of free copies, but it’s likely to be commensurate with the UK numbers.
In the US, Vanity Fair circulation is dwarfed by People, AARP, Better Homes and Gardens, and many other periodicals. None of them has an Oscar party. But none of them need to, I guess.
“Creed III” started its run last weekend with knockout punches all kinds of other big boxing puns.
But in a true test, the second weekend has “Creed III” on the ropes. Friday’s box office fell 66% from last Friday. It seems like the big money was made in round 1, and round 2 may not fare so well.
This may be the way movies are going right now. Big opening weekends, followed by big fall offs. It used to mean a lot to have “legs,” but right now those legs are wobbly. “Creed III” will still hit $100 million by Monday or Tuesday, but that propulsive element is gone.
Meanwhile, Adam Driver is facing his first real flop with “65,” a title that sounds like it’s referring to retirement. Maybe it is, I have no idea. But “65” has disastrous reviews and just $4.4 million for its opening night. This is no “Star Wars” for Driver, who’s already had another off the books flop with Netflix’s “White Noise.” (Remember how “White Noise” was going to be their big Oscar movie?)
In the good news department, Paramount’s got a hit with “Scream 6.” They made $20 mil over Thursday and Friday. This is a huge leap from the last “Scream” movie in 2022. Horror of horrors, the new installment recalls the halcyon days of “Scream” when it first launched from Miramax decades ago. This episode has Courteney Cox, but no Neve Campbell, who turned it down after a low ball salary offer. You just never know how these things will go.
UPDATED: I reported this story exclusively at 3:38PM Pacific Time on Friday. A couple of hours later, Deadline.com stole it from this site and labelled it ‘exclusive.’ This is what I have to deal with all the time, especially from Deadline, where the people claim to be my friends. Good lord.
What Deadline won’t say, but I’ve said all along, is that no one knows what “Organized Crime” is about. Even after all these episodes, “OC” stands as an add-on to “SVU.” The Benson-Stabler non romance is what drives any viewers to it. They just keep replacing showrunners hoping to figure out a raison d’etre for this show.
EARLIER
Well. You get to Hollywood and there’s plenty of news.
The TV types out here tell me the showrunner for “Law & Order Organized Crime” is out.
Steve JablonskI was the 5th person assigned to guide Chris Meloni’s cop show. These producers are like Murphy Brown’s secretaries!
What next? A former OC EP was spotted around Dick Wolf’s Den recently. Bit who knows?
if anyone does let me know at showbiz411@gmail.com
