Bob Iger Invests in Fast-Delivery Company Gopuff

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaHappyNest has closed an equity investment into GoKidGo, an audio company geared towards making content for kids. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The pact gives HappyNest proprietary development rights to adapt short-form and long-form animated series from GoKidGo original characters, including a new original R.L.

Mark Bozon, who spent 12 years at Apple in creative and gaming executive roles, has been hired by Disney in a senior post to help oversee the company’s push into the metaverse.

Fringes have never exactly fallen out of favour, but there really does seem to be more famous faces than ever switching up their look with the addition of a choppy fringe or curtain bangs.The latest A-lister to serve up a new fringe? Singer, actress and beauty entrepreneur extraordinaire Selena Gomez, who ditched her usual trademark long bob for blunt bangs paired with extra long extensions for a new TikTok video. Lip syncing along to an amusing audio in standard TikTok fashion, the singer could be seen with poker straight warm brunette extensions and a slightly feathered fringe that falls past her brows.

Hulu is offering new and select returning subscribers its basic, ad-supported tier for $1 a month for their first three months.

Twenty-four hours before his win for Best Documentary Feature would result in one of the most powerful speeches of this year’s Oscar night, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and his Summer of Soul team gathered at an intimate brunch in the picturesque gardens of Dana Walden’s Brentwood estate. Walden was there, along with Peter Rice, Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum and other high-level Disney executives. Even Disney CEO Bob Chapek put in an appearance.

David Furnish, Elton John’s longtime partner, will direct the documentary alongside R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish documentary “The World’s a Little Blurry” for Apple TV+ last year, which earned four Emmy nominations.

Rita Ferra, president of ad sales for Disney, said the forthcoming ad-supported tier of Disney+ will have a less “robust” amount of ads compared with Hulu. That disparity, at least initially, will mainly be because about 65% of viewing on the streaming service is for movies, which don’t lend themselves to commercial interruption.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to a big feature documentary package, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend. No one would comment, but we hear the docu, from Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler as well as filmmaker (and longtime Elton John partner) David Furnish, sold for about $30 million.

Bob Iger has become an investor in and advisor to Gopuff, a nine-year old commerce platform first started by two Philadelphia college students to deliver late-night snacks, hookahs and tobacco products.

GoPuff hearkens to its smoky origins, the e-commerce platform now delivers a dizzying variety of products, the likes of which can be found in grocery and convenience stores, and aims for a 30-minute delivery window. The firm announced on Wednesday that Iger, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company and himself a bit of a serial investment dabbler, would be joining as an adviser and financial backer.Starting at $2.95, GoPuff will deliver just about anything – from toothpaste to a bottle of whiskey – and is one of the more advanced companies thriving in the “instant commerce” space.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, proclaimed the merged company as essentially the fifth broadcast network, and repeated his vow that the company would overcome any skepticism about its prospects.

Unlike the upfronts themselves, Jimmy Kimmel was not back on-stage live in NYC today for the first time since 2019. Having tested positive for Covid-19 again, the late-night host had to change plans and appear virtually to take a flamethrower to some of Disney’s executives, streaming dreams, and offerings old and new.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorJimmy Kimmel had zingers aplenty for companies across the TV spectrum at Disney’s upfront presentation on Tuesday, even though a positive COVID test kept the late-night host from appearing in person.As always, Kimmel didn’t hold back at his bosses in his 10-minute standup bit that was beamed in live to the event held in a giant tent at Manhattan’s Pier 36. He noted that he’s been doing his much-anticipated comedy bits for 19 years.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAttendees at the Disney upfront could have played a drinking game by taking a sip everytime someone referred to the company as “unrivaled.” The message to advertisers: You’ve heard from other congloms this week, but no company offers such a wide range of storytelling options than the Walt Disney Co.’s suite of offerings.After an embattled several months atop the helm, Disney CEO Bob Chapek didn’t address any of the recent arrows pointed at him and the company, instead opening the presentation by calling the Walt Disney Company “the most powerful force in the industry” and noting how he started his career in advertising.“Now, as many of you know, Disney will be celebrating our 100th anniversary later this year and that is an incredible milestone,” he said. “I can’t help but think about this moment in the context of what this company has always been, what it is today, and what it will be.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reported Monday in a securities filing that it has acquired a stake in Paramount Global after acquiring $2.6 billion in Class B shares.

Saturday Night Live.”Kyle Mooney played Depp, who, in real life, has alleged that Amber Heard once left a ‘fecal delivery’ on their bed out of anger.When presented with a video of Depp’s property manager (Kenan Thompson) finding the “dookie,” Heidi Gardner, playing Heard’s lawyer, pointed out that the video wouldn’t stand as proof that the feces came from a human — as Heard claims it came from the couple’s dogs.“That’s true, but I’ll allow it, because it does sound fun. And this trial is for fun!” squealed Cecily Strong, playing the judge.Parodying the way the trial has become such a pop culture moment, Strong said, “I think I’ve seen enough. This trial has given me a lot to consider.

With Marvel’s global juggernaut Doctor Strange missing in action in China, Disney CEO Bob Chapek called the situation there “very fluid and very complicated, both from a business standpoint and from a political standpoint.”

fiscal second-quarter earnings conference call Wednesday afternoon, an investor asked CEO Bob Chapek what was holding the company back from expanding it as an all-in-one service. Chapek said that Disney is trying to preserve the “huge” cash flow generated by its linear networks before jumping into a direct to consumer (DTC) decision like that.“At the same time, we’re very conscious of our ability to go more aggressively into the [direct to consumer] area of ESPN,” said Chapek.

While the idea of ESPN going “over the top” as a stand-alone streaming offering has been bruited about for years, Disney CEO Bob Chapek enthused about the scenario and describe it as an inevitability during the company’s quarterly earnings call.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDisney has previously revealed it has 500 shows in the pipeline outside of the U.S., but on Wednesday, the company broke down for the first time how those planned local-language programs are being dispersed throughout global regions.According to Christine M. McCarthy, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, 140 of those shows are in the works in the Asia/Pacific region, including Southeast Asia; 150 are in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) territories); 100 are set up in India; and 200 are being developed for Latin America.Click here to sign up for Variety‘s free Strictly Business newsletter covering earnings, financial and investment news, and more.Elsewhere on the call, CEO Bob Chapek was pressed by analysts on another international topic: Disney’s lack of traction in recent months with getting its movies approved for release in China.