Oscars 2025: Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo open the Oscars with ‘Wizard’-ly classics
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Ariana Grande had the honor of opening the 97th Oscars on Sunday night.
After a montage of films set in LA, which ended with the message “We love LA,” Ari appeared wearing a sparkly red gown to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which Judy Garland sang in The Wizard of Oz. Since Ari is nominated for Wicked, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the choice was fitting.
Her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, wearing a huge white gown with a purple floral accent, then took the stage to sing “Home” from The Wiz, another take on L. Frank Baum‘s classic tale.
The two then came together center stage to sing “Defying Gravity,” their big number from Wicked. Cynthia, of course, nailed every note, including the final battle cry, and both earned a standing ovation.
A gender-swapped reimagining of the beloved Louis Sachar book Holes is headed to Disney+, according to Variety.
The streamer has ordered a Holes TV series to pilot, over 20 years after it was adapted to a film. Shia LaBeouf starred in the 2003 Holes movie as Stanley Yelnats, the unlucky boy who is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he didn’t commit.
The official logline for the new TV show reads, “In this reimagining of the beloved 1998 book from Louis Sachar, a teenage girl is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.”
Alina Mankin will write and executive produce the show, while Liz Phang will be its showrunner and also executive produce. DrewGoddard will also executive produce through Goddard Textiles along with Sarah Esberg.
“My mom’s been a schoolteacher for her whole life and, as such, she’s served as a de facto book scout for Goddard Textiles,” Goddard told Variety, who broke the story. “She always knows what ‘the kids’ are into long before everyone else does. ‘Holes’ was the first book she suggested to me – this was back in the late ‘90s – and she was positive it was going to be a phenomenon. It feels good to bring it full circle for Mrs. Goddard and her sixth grade class.”
House of David, Prime Video’s series about the life of the biblical King David, debuts Thursday with three episodes. It depicts how shepherd boy David is anointed king of Israel while another king, Saul, is on the throne. In that way, show creator Jon Erwin says it’s similar to another epic series about the struggle for power.
“I think it is a bit like Game of Thrones,” Erwin says. “The drama of a boy chosen to be king by this prophet, in a nation that had a king. … That is instant dramatic tension. And it is a battle over this throne, and who is man’s choice? Who is God’s choice? So it does have some of those same story drivers.”
Erwin also feels that House of David tells a story that’s a blueprint for all those that followed.
“Whether it’s Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter, Frodo … the classic hero’s journey, in many ways … has its roots, at least somewhat, in the life of David 3,000 years ago,” he notes.
Newcomer Michael Iskander, who plays David, says he went straight to the source to prepare to portray such a historical figure.
“I always found myself going to … the Bible, and just really delving into who David was as a person,” he says. “What is his character? What is he ultimately seeking in life? And what are the things that got him to where he was?”
Iskander’s background in Broadway musicals, and his family background, also helped prepare him to play David, who’s also a musician.
“I knew that whoever would play David would have to sing the Psalms in Hebrew because it has to be in the original language. It has to be on a lyre. It has to be with that Eastern ornamentation,” he says. “I had a bit of experience in that. I grew up in Egypt. I know what that music sounds like.”
Hoda Kotb hosted her final episode of Today on Friday.
The host celebrated 17 years as part of the NBC morning program in what was dubbed as a Hoda-bration.
The on-air celebration included special goodbye messages from fellow NBC News personalities Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Keith Morrison and Maria Shriver. Celebrities Jamie Lee Curtis, Oprah Winfrey and Simone Biles also paid tribute to Kotb by sharing goodbye messages.
“I know what making this decision feels like,” Winfrey told Kotb. “I want to assure you that yes, you have made the right move, even though it was hard to do.”
Kotb’s longtime former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford also returned to the studio to send her off with a special toast. Large glasses of wine were brought out for Kotb, Gifford and the other current host of Today‘s fourth hour, Jenna Bush Hager.
“May you walk into the most joyful, prosperous, purposeful time in your life with those precious daughters that I watched come into your life, what a blessing that was,” Gifford said in her goodbye toast.
To top off the special broadcast, Kermit the Frogappeared in studio to sing “Rainbow Connection” to Kotb, who cried and sang along. Kotb’s daughters sat on her lap during the performance.
She ended her final broadcast as permanent host of the program by thanking the fans.
“Can I say thank you to every person who came out here? I read your cards, I got your bracelets, I got the scarves you crocheted, I read the texts, I got everything,” Kotb said. “So, I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming out, for being here, and for everything you did. I love you!”
