Hollywood Week: Conan 2.0, Amy Pascal, David Heyman Mentioned as 007 Producers, George Foreman Dies

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Saturday, 22 March 2025 10:18

Written by Janet Walker

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced this week that Conan O'Brien will return for an encore performance and host the 2026 Academy Awards, just two weeks after winning rave reviews for his first hosting gig.

Academy Announces Conan O'Brien to Host Oscars 98 Ceremony

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang also announced much of the successful 2025 team will return in 2026 including Executive producers Raj Kapoor, and Katy Mullen, and longtime Conan producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney.

"We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!" said Kramer and Yang. "This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way. Conan was the perfect host – skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.

The 2026 Academy Awards, and the 98th annual awards ceremony, will be held on March 15, 2026.

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007 May Have Found New Producers

When Amazon purchased MGM, in 2022 and became Amazon MGM, its cornerstone property, The James Bond Franchise, found itself with a new owner. During the entirety of the Bond era, MGM owned the rights to the franchise and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson co-owned the rights and held total creative control and along with EON Productions, produced 27 Bond Films.

For nearly sixty years, the dashing British Spy, James Bond, created by Ian Fleming, has captivated audiences round the world, with his unique womanizing style, charm, good looks, and dedication to country.  The role of James Bond has always been critical to the franchise's success, beginning with Sean Connery, who helmed the first decade of James Bond film from 1962s "Dr. No" to the 1971 "Diamonds are Forever." Forward the producer EON Productions and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have searched for the right combination of British flare and seduction.

As the times modernized so did the portrayal of James Bond, following Connery, Roger Moore's role of Bond lasted 15 years until the 1989 film "License to Kill" featuring Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan followed until "Die Another Day" in 2002 ended his tenure as 007. After which the Bond Franchise went on a four-year hiatus. Daniel Craig assumed the role in the 2006 success of "Casino Royale" and has been the only Bond many movie going fans have over the last twenty years remember. His last role as James Bond was the 2021 thriller "No Time to Die." Only once did an actor play the role for a single film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," the 1969 iteration of was helmed by George Lazenby.

Host Conan O’Brien, Executive Producers Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan Reunite For 98th Oscars®

Amazon Takes Over

Once Amazon purchased MGM, they became owners of the rights to the James Bond franchise, and separately negotiated control with the Broccoli/Wilson team. After the purchase EON Productions will continue to produce the films, and the Broccoli/Wilson team, who retain co-ownership were compensated to relinquish creative control.

Now, Amazon/MGM has been searching for a new executive producing team, to manage all aspects of the creative filmmaking process.

Media sources have been buzzing this week over the expected announcement of a two-person team, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, both bringing megawatt experience and known for developing franchise films into global stratospheric box office hits.

Former SONY Exec Amy Pascal, who left the studio over a email hack scam, went on to set up shop independently producing mega hits such as "Tom Holland's Spider-Man films and the award-winning "Into the Spider-Verse" animated movies, as well dramas such as Greta Gerwig's adaptation of "Little Women" and Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," which was made by Amazon MGM," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Along side Pascal, David Heyman, who produced all eight of "The Harry Potter" films, and a British citizen, would ensure the British charm and nuances in language and other mannerism, are not lost in translation. And as Amazon/MGM now has complete creative control, keeping the British subtleties on track is critical to the success of the films.

While sources said these conversations have progressed at length, officially the announcements have yet to come from Amazon/MGM.

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George Foreman, Boxing Champ, Product Spokesman, Dies

George Foreman, who turned his boxing success into a lucrative post sports career as a product spokesman, died this week. He was 76.

His family released a statement, "Our hearts are broken," the family wrote. "A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose. A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family," The Washington Post reported.

Foreman for many will be remembered as the two-time heavyweight champion of the world, his first win by a knockout against Joe Fraizer, in 1973. In defense of the title, he was billed to fight against Muhammad Ali in 1974, in probably the most famous boxing match in history, The Rumble in the Jungle, held in Zaire Africa. Ali introduced to the world his famous rope-a-dope moves, a boxing technique boxers use as they lean against the ropes and allow the opponent to land non-inuring body blows, making them believing they are crippling or injuring their opponent. When Ali bounced off the ropes, be knockout Foreman in the eighth round. Foreman would come back, in 1994, to fight an unknown Michael Moorer, nearly twenty years his junior, and win by a knockout.

More than his boxing successes, George Foreman proved life can have as many successful acts as one is willing to work at achieving. While some hope for a successful third act, Foreman wanted a successful sixth act, and he earned it. He became the spokesperson for the George Foreman Grill, which began a Foreman becoming the pitch man. The advertising was so successful the company paid Foreman more than $135million to use his image and likeness.

Foreman who died peacefully surrounded by family is survived by his five sons, George, Jr., George III, George IV, George V, George VI, which has always elicited laughter, George Sr., explained it as something his sons would always have in common.

Janet Walker, Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Launches HL-Productions

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a former member of the International Federation of Journalists.