‘The Masked Singer’ Season 11 Premiere Opens With a Superstar Reveal: Here’s Who Was Under the ‘Book’ Costume

The popular FOX show "Masked Singer" is in its 11th season, and a few celebrities were recently revealed. The top secret singing competition features well-known stars from today and decades ago.The show, enjoyable for the whole family, is a guessing game among an audience and panel of celebrity judges, including Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and, this year, Rita Ora.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Hit faith-based drama “The Chosen,” which just launched its fourth season in theaters via a partnership with Fathom Events, is already prepping the start of production for Season 5 next month. Variety has confirmed that cameras will begin rolling on “The Chosen” Season 5 in Utah starting April 11; the series will shoot there for six weeks before shifting to the show’s home base in Texas for the remainder of the production. “The Chosen” has been mapped out as a seven-season series; for Season 5, the show will pick up where Season 4 left off, during Holy Week before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Kevin Hart, who rose from the open mics and comedy clubs of his native Philadelphia to become one of the country’s most recognizable performers, will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a gala performance Sunday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.Hart, 44, has honed a signature style that combines his diminutive height, expressive face and motor-mouth delivery into a successful stand-up act.In Hollywood, Hart made his movie debut in the 2002 film “Paper Soldiers” and came to mainstream fame through a string of scene-stealing cameos in hits such as 2005’s “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin.”Hart’s films have grossed more than $4.23 billion globally.Now in its 25th year, the Mark Twain Prize annually honors performers who have made a lasting impact on humor and culture. Honorees receive a bronze bust of Twain, the iconic American writer and satirist whose real name was Samuel Clemens.Mark Twain recipients are honored with a night of testimonials and video tributes, often featuring previous award winners.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Disney Channel has given an official series order to its “Wizards of Waverly Place” sequel, this time with the working title “Wizards.” Original stars Selena Gomez and David Henrie are set to exec produce, while Gomez will appear in a guest role and Henrie will be back full time as a series regular. Production will begin next month in Los Angeles on “Wizards,” which is aimed for a premiere later this year on both Disney Channel and Disney+.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Bupkis” Season 2 is bupkis. Star Pete Davidson has confirmed that he has opted not to continue with his semi-autobiographical Peacock comedy, which had previously been renewed for a second season. “I’ve always seen Bupkis as a window into my life, since it is so personal and about my struggles and family,” Davidson said ina.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Dick Wolf is in for another busy season at NBC. No surprise here, the Peacock network has renewed “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” for the 2024-25 broadcast TV season.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The BBC leads all producers among nominees with 22 at this year’s 2024 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, as announced Thursday by the Banff World Media Festival. The United States is tops among all countries, with 51 total, followed closely by the UK with 50. Among U.S.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 3 of “The Masked Singer,” “Billy Joel Night,” which aired March 20 on Fox. In a Fox reality crossover, “MasterChef” judge Joe Bastianich was revealed to be the singer under the Spaghetti & Meatballs costume on this week’s episode of “The Masked Singer.” And in a coincidence, the restauranteur appeared on “Billy Joel Night” — and the Piano Man happens to be a buddy. “I grew up on Long Island in the 70s and 80s,” Bastianich told Variety. “That was the soundtrack of that era.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large That’s a wrap on Oscar season 2024 — but first, the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast‘s Roundtable dives in one last time to take a final look at the highs, lows and head scratchers from Sunday night’s ceremony. “Oppenheimer” did huge, but it didn’t quite sweep.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 2 of “The Masked Singer,” “The Wizard of Oz Night,” which aired March 13 on Fox. Chrisley didn’t know best, at least on “The Masked Singer.” As her “Chrisley Knows Best” parents Julie and Todd Chrisley remain in prison for bank fraud, daughter Savannah Chrisley was unmasked on the hit Fox series this week as the “Afghan Hound.” For Chrisley, no one got it right. Robin Thicke guessed Bethenny Frankel. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg said Brooke Hogan.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fresh off her recent stint hosting “Saturday Night Live,” Sydney Sweeney made her way to Austin and SXSW for the world premiere of her new religious horror film “Immaculate” — and on Tuesday night, she had the crowd screaming (and laughing at their own reactions) at the Paramount Theatre. The jump scares, in particular, had the entire theater jumping — and then giggling at their own fear. “Immaculate” leans into horror but also has plenty of moments of dark humor.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Just minutes before the Oscars were set to begin, the show’s producers realized they had a problem: Some of the year’s key A-listers and nominees weren’t inside the Dolby Theatre just yet. The perfect storm of traffic delays, pro-Palestine protests, the first day of daylight saving time and an earlier start time had contributed to the last-minute crunch. “We were definitely stressed out, because we had to have certain celebrities in their seats,” Oscars producer Molly McNearney — also an EP on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — tells Variety on Monday morning.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Conan O’Brien Must Go” is finally going. The long-in-the-works project, announced last year during Warner Bros. Discovery’s upfronts presentation, has been given a premiere date: Thursday, April 18 on Max.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large From “Scandoval” to soccer ball. Reality TV uber producer Alex Baskin (“Vanderpump Rules,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”) and his 32 Flavors shingle have partnered with tech mogul Alexis Ohanian, soccer star Midge Purce and sports doc producers Box to Box Films (“Drive to Survive,” “Break Point”) to produce the sports docuseries “The Offseason.” National Women’s Soccer League player Purce, who is also a U.S.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Tim Allen is one step closer to returning to ABC for a third time. The Alphabet net has given a pilot order to his latest sitcom, “Shifting Gears,” from 20th Television. Allen is on board to star and executive produce the multi-cam sitcom pilot — which is still a working title — which will also be written and executive produced by Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “The Masked Singer” officially returns for its 11th season this Wednesday.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “The Masked Singer” didn’t have to look far to find a fill-in for panelist Nicole Scherzinger, who spent the fall starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End. Singer/songwriter Rita Ora has served as a panelist on “The Masked Singer UK” for several seasons — making it an easy trip across the pond to take Scherzinger’s chair alongside Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke. U.S.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large It’s become an Oscars tradition for Kelly Ripa: The “Live With Kelly & Mark” host is positioned back stage to grab the very first interview with a newly minted winner. Every year, those winners are so wrapped up in the moment that they excitedly invite Ripa to appear in their next project or join in on their next vacation. And then they don’t follow through.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Dessert is served: Fox has given a Season 3 order to its baking competition series “Crime Scene Kitchen,” hosted by Joel McHale. The pickup, announced by the network on Monday, also includes the return of chef Curtis Stone and cake artist Yolanda Gampp as celebrity judges.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Jamie Foxx is returning to once again host Fox’s musical game show “Beat Shazam,” after he took last season off in the wake of his hospitalization for a still-undisclosed medical emergency. Nick Cannon took over as host last season. Foxx’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, is also back as the show’s co-host DJ, after she was temporarily replaced last season by Kelly Osbourne.