Hank (voiced by Michael Cera) and and Jimbo (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) in “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Align and Aniventure)
Directed by Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey
Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in the fictional town of Kakamucho, the animated film “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” features a racially diverse cast (white, black, Asian and Latino) portraying talking animals.
Culture Clash: Inspired by the 1974 comedy film “Blazing Saddles,” a dog named Hank is chosen to be a samurai to save a town of cats, but Hank doesn’t know not he’s been set up by villain who wants to rid the town of the cats and wants Hank to be killed.
Culture Audience: “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” will appeal primarily to fans of “Blazing Saddles” and people who enjoy family-oriented films with positive messages of self-confidence and not judging people by physical appearances.
Ika Chu (voiced by Ricky Gervais) and Ohga (voiced by George Takei) in “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” (Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Align and Aniventure)
No one should expect “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” to be award-worthy. But as family entertainment with positive messages, memorable characters and an action-filled story (that sometimes gets jumbled), the movie delivers on a satisfactory level. Although “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” was inspired by the classic 1974 film “Blazing Saddles,” anyone expecting the dark comedy of “Blazing Saddles” will be sorely disappointed.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” is an animated film geared to people of various ages (mostly underage kids), so the tone of the movie is lighthearted and lightweight. Because it’s an animated movie with talking animals and a theme of an underestimated animal training to be a protective fighter, “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” might also get some comparisons to the 2008 animated film “Kung Fu Panda.” “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” isn’t as good as “Kung Fu Panda” and is unlikely to have as large of a fan base that the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise has, but not all movies aspire to be classics.
Directed by Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey, “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” has the benefit of very talented voice cast members who give the movie’s characters unique personalities. This is not the type of animated film where it’s hard to tell the characters apart from each other. Ed Stone and Nate Hopper wrote the adapted screenplay for “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” which also gives screenwriting credit to “Blazing Saddles” screenwriters Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” begins with showing a town called Kakamucho, which is populated entirely by cats. Although the town could exist anywhere, the Kakamucho residents follow ancient Japanese military traditions of shoguns and samurai. The town has recently been plagued by bandits. The shogun of Kakamucho will be arriving soon and will be asked by find samurai who can protect the town. “Blazing Saddles” director/co-writer Brooks is the voice of Shogun, a British shorthair cat.
However, the story’s villain wants to get rid of the residents of Kakamucho, so that he can use the land for greedy redevelopment purposes. The villain is a scheming Somali cat named Ika Chu (voiced by Ricky Gervais), a character that people might or might not enjoy watching, depending on how they feel about Gervais and his cutting British comedy that he brings to this cat’s personality. In movies like this, every villain has a sidekick. Ika Chu’s sidekick is Ohga (voiced by George Takei), a burly Manx cat who leads Ika Chu’s army.
Ika Chu has concocted a plan where he decides to fool a dog into thinking that the dog has been selected as a samurai to protect Kakamucho. Because cats and dogs have been enemies, Ika Chu is counting on the dog to be killed by the Kakamucho residents. Because it’s against the law to kill a samurai, Ika Chu will then have the entire town arrested, and then have the land to himself.
The dog who becomes the unwitting target of Ika Chu’s dastardly plan is Hank (voiced by Michael Cera), a socially awkward beagle who has recently been released from prison. It’s implied that Hank might have been unjustly imprisoned simply because he’s a dog in a cat’s town. Iku Chu summons Hank and lies to him by saying that Hank has been chosen as the samurai to protect Kakamucho. When Hank expresses skepticism, Ika Chu spontaneously scratches the word “samurai” on a coffee mug and gives it to Hank as an “official” memento that Hank is now an appointed samurai.
Hank has no idea how to be a samurai, so he enlists the help of tuxedo cat Jimbo (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson), a washed-up and cranky samurai, who spends a lot of time getting drunk on catnip. Jimbo is very reluctant to become a sensei mentor to Hank, but he eventually agrees. Jimbo isn’t entirely convinced that a dog will be accepted by the cats of Kakamucho.
Hank and Jimbo do a lot of arguing during this training, but they have somewhat of a emotional breakthrough when Hank finds out that he’s met Jimbo before. Hank tells Jimbo about a time several years earlier when an unidentified samurai cat rescued Hank from being bullied by some bad dogs. Jimbo reveals that he was that cat.
Jimbo eventually opens up to Hank about something painful from his past too. Years ago, Jimbo was head of security at the birthday party for his employer, an elite feline named Toshi. However, Jimbo accidentally caused a major disaster at the party. The accident resulted in Toshi’s in-laws to become sterile. This mishap embarrassed Jimbo so much, he quit being a samurai and became a bitter recluse.
Although this is a fictional animated film, “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” has a lot to say about prejudices that can negatively divide individuals. It’s a message that’s explicitly stated in the film, but one that’s still meaningful. The bigotry between the cats and dogs in “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” is obvious symbolism for bigotry in hate groups that teach people to hate others based on their identities or physical appearances.
Observant viewers will also notice how “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” shows something that often happens in real life: opinions and thoughts from young females are often dismissed just because they’re young females. In the movie, a young female Persian cat named Emiko (voiced by Kylie Kuioka), who wants to be a samurai, is intelligent and observant. However, her smart ideas are often ignored, or an older male in the community takes credit for her ideas. The way that Emiko handles this disrespect and what happens to her in the end are good lessons for people of any age.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” gets a little messy with a tad too many subplots. One of these subplots involves a giant ginger cat named Sumo (voiced by Djimon Hounsou), who is at various times feared and adored. Sumo arrives in Kakamucho as a fighting enemy to Hank, but will Sumo ends up as a friend?
In “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” the female cats are often the calm voices of reason amid the chaos. Yuki (voiced by Michelle Yeoh) is a cheerful Persian cat who is Emiko’s mother. Little Mama (voiced by Cathy Shim) is a wise matriarch of Kakamucho. There’s also a clownish duo of friends: klutzy calico cat Chuck (voiced by Gabriel Iglesias) and tuxedo cat Ichiro (voiced by Aasif Mandvi), who are like the Laurel & Hardy of Kakamucho.
The movie has no shortage of action, with some scenes working better than others. The last third of the movie consists of a flurry of battles and chase sequences that should hold viewers’ interest, despite predictable outcomes. The visuals in “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” are good but not outstanding. The most striking visuals are the outdoor scenic shots and many of the action scenes.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” makes some sarcastic self-referential comments on movie clichés that can be found in “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.” When Hank begins training under Jimbo’s tutelage, Hank says, “This is the training montage.” Jimbo replies, “This is my favorite part—the part where you suffer.” A movie that can laugh at itself in this way can’t be taken too seriously.
Paramount Pictures will release “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” in U.S. cinemas on July 15, 2022.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” writer/director/producer Quentin Tarantino at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
“1917” director/producer/co-writer Sam Mendes (second from right) at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
With three victories, Columbia Pictures’ “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” won the most prizes at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which were presented at the Beverly Hilton In Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. NBC had the U.S. telecast of the show. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which is set in 1969 and is about Hollywood entertainers who come in contact with members of the Manson Family, took the prizes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy; Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (for Brad Pitt); and Best Screenplay (for writer/director Quentin Tarantino).
Universal Pictures’ World War I drama “1917” won two Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director (for Sam Mendes), triumphing other films that received more Golden Globe nominations, such as the Netflix movies “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story” and “The Two Popes.” Many pundits did not predict that “1917” would win any of the big prizes since the movie wasn’t nominated in the categories for acting or screenplay. The only other category that “1917” received a nomination for was Best Original Score.
“Marriage Story” went into the ceremony with the most nominations (six), but ended up with just one Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (for Laura Dern). In fact, Netflix was shut out of winning almost all of its nominations this year. The only other Golden Globe victory for Netflix this year was Olivia Colman of “The Crown” winning Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama.
Other movies that won two Golden Globes each were Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Joker” and Paramount Pictures’ “Rocketman.” Joker” won the awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (for Joaquin Phoenix) and Best Original Score (for Hildur Guðnadóttir, in a rare occasion when a female composer won in this Golden Globe category). “Rocketman” won the awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (for Taron Egerton) and Best Original Song, for Elton John’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” which was written by John and Bernie Taupin. It was the first major award that longtime songwriting duo John and Taupin ever won together.
Movie winners also included Renée Zellweger of “Judy” (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama); Awkafina of “The Farewell” (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy); the South Korean film “”Parasite” (Best Foreign Language Film); and “Missing Link” (Best Animated Film).
“Fleabag” creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge (holding Golden Globe trophy) at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
In the TV field, the top winners (with two awards each) were the HBO drama series “Succession,” the Amazon Prime Video comedy series “Fleabag,” and the HBO limited series “Chernobyl.” “Succession” was named Best Television Series – Drama, while Brian Cox won for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama. “Fleabag” took the prize for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, while the show’s creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge won Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. “Chernobyl” took the prize for Best Television Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, while Stellan Skarsgård won for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
Other TV winners included Ramy Youssef of “Hulu’s “Ramy” (Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy); Michelle Williams of FX’s limited series “Fosse/Verdon” (Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television); Russell Crowe of “The Loudest Voice” (Best Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television); and Patricia Arquette of Hulu’s limited series “The Act” (Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television).
Crowe was the only winner who was a no-show, and he said in a prepared speech that was read on stage that he couldn’t be there because of the raging wildfires that were happening in his native Australia. Another no-show was Christian Bale (a Golden Globe nominee this year for his lead role in the movie drama “Ford v Ferrari”), who was announced as a presenter but ended up not attending the ceremony for a reason that was not announced.
Golden Globe Awards host Ricky Gervais at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
British comedian/actor Ricky Gervais hosted the show and delivered on expectations of making remarks that would offend some people, considering he’s done that every time he’s hosted the Golden Globes. (This was his fifth time as Golden Globes host. He previously hosted in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.) In his opening monologue, Gervais joked about notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein being a friend to many of the rich and powerful people in the audience, whom he called “perverts.” (Epstein was accused of pimping out and sexually abusing underage girls for decades, before he died in prison in 2019, while waiting to go on trial on sex-trafficking charges.) The jokes about sexual abuse didn’t end there, as Gervais commented that the past year was a year for movies about accusations of pedophilia, citing “Surviving R. Kelly,” “Leaving Neverland” and, he joked, “The Two Popes.”
Gervais also ridiculed the movie musical “Cats” for being a massive flop with audiences and critics. After making fun of “Cats” co-star James Corden’s weight by calling him a “fat pussy” (words that were not bleeped out during the telecast), Gervais made perhaps the most controversial remark of the evening: a crude joke about “Cats” co-star Judi Dench licking her genital area like a cat. In the joke about Dench, he used words that were definitely bleeped out. Gervais also took aim at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that votes for the Golden Globes and is partially responsible for hiring the show’s host. (Dick Clark Productions also produces the Golden Globes telecast.) He joked that the Golden Globes vegan dinner menu consisted of “only vegetables … just like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”
Gervais pointed out the lack of diversity in this year’s Golden Globe nominees by calling the HFPA “racist” and joked that he also had a problem with the lack of diversity in the show’s “In Memoriam” segment that’s a remembrance of the entertainers who died in the past year. Awkwafina, “Parasite” director Bong Joo Ho and “Ramy” star Youssef were the only non-white winners at the Golden Globes ceremony this year, which will spark considerable conversation about the lack of racial diversity in the show’s winners.
Tom Hanks received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement. Ellen DeGeneres received the Carol Burnett Award, which is given to people who have excelled in comedy. The Carol Burnett Award debuted at the Golden Globes in 2019, and Burnett was the first recipient of the prize. Burnett was seated next to DeGeneres at the ceremony. Dylan and Paris Brosnan (sons of Pierce Brosnan) served as the 2020 Golden Globe Ambassadors.
Presenters included Jennifer Aniston, Antonio Banderas, Jason Bateman, Annette Bening, Cate Blanchett, Matt Bomer, Pierce Brosnan, Sandra Bullock, Priyanka Chopra, Glenn Close, Daniel Craig, Ted Danson, Ana de Armas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ansel Elgort, Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Will Ferrell, Lauren Graham, Tiffany Haddish, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, “Rocketman” Golden Globe winner John, Nick Jonas, Harvey Keitel, Zoe Kravitz, Jennifer Lopez, Rami Malek, Ewan McGregor, Kate McKinnon, Helen Mirren, Jason Momoa, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Poehler, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Golden Globe winner Pitt, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Margot Robbie, Paul Rudd, Wesley Snipes, Octavia Spencer, Rocketman” Golden Globe winner Bernie Taupin, Charlize Theron, Sofia Vergara, Kerry Washington, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz and Reese Witherspoon.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2020 Golden Globe Awards:
*=winner
MOVIES
Best Motion Picture – Drama
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Marriage Story” (Netflix) “1917” (Universal)*
“Joker” (Warner Bros.)
“The Two Popes” (Netflix)
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Columbia)*
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox Searchlight)
“Knives Out” (Lionsgate)
“Rocketman” (Paramount)
“Dolemite Is My Name” (Netflix)
Best Director
Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) Sam Mendes (“1917”)*
Todd Phillips (“Joker”)
Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”) Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”) Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”) Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)*
Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Daniel Craig (“Knives Out”)
Roman Griffin Davis (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)*
Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite Is My Name”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”) Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)*
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Awkwafina (“The Farewell”)*
Ana de Armas (“Knives Out”)
Cate Blanchett (“Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”)
Beanie Feldstein (“Booksmart”)
Emma Thompson (“Late Night”)
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”) Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)*
Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates (“Richard Jewell”)
Annette Bening (“The Report”) Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)*
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)
Best Screenplay
Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”)
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won (“Parasite”)
Anthony McCarten (“The Two Popes”) Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)*
Steven Zaillian (“The Irishman”)
Best Original Score
Daniel Pemberton (“Motherless Brooklyn”)
Alexandre Desplat (“Little Women”) Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”)*
Thomas Newman (“1917”)
Randy Newman (“Marriage Story”)
Best Original Song
“Beautiful Ghosts” (“Cats”) “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (“Rocketman”)*
“Into the Unknown” (“Frozen II”)
“Spirit” (“The Lion King”)
“Stand Up” (“Harriet”)
Best Animated Film
“Frozen II” (Disney)
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” (Universal) “Missing Link” (United Artists Releasing)*
“Toy Story 4” (Disney)
“The Lion King” (Disney)
Best Foreign Language Film
“The Farewell” (A24)
“Pain and Glory” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (Neon) “Parasite” (Neon)*
“Les Misérables” (Amazon)
TELEVISION
Best Television Series – Drama
“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Killing Eve” (BBC America)
“The Morning Show” (Apple TV+) “Succession” (HBO)*
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy “Barry” (HBO) “Fleabag” (Amazon)*
“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)
“The Politician” (Netflix)
Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama Brian Cox (“Succession”)*
Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”)
Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”)
Tobias Menzies (“The Crown”)
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”) Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)*
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”)
Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies”)
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Ben Platt (“The Politician”)
Paul Rudd (“Living With Yourself”) Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)*
Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Kirsten Dunst (“On Becoming a God in Central Florida”)
Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”) Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)*
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Catch-22″ (Hulu) “Chernobyl” (HBO)*
“Fosse/Verdon” (FX)
“The Loudest Voice” (Showtime)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Christopher Abbott (“Catch-22”)
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Spy”) Russell Crowe (“The Loudest Voice”)*
Jared Harris (“Chernobyl”)
Sam Rockwell (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kaitlyn Dever (“Unbelievable”)
Joey King (“The Act”)
Helen Mirren (“Catherine the Great”)
Merritt Wever (“Unbelievable”) Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)*
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”)
Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”) Stellan Skarsgård (“Chernobyl”)*
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Patricia Arquette (“The Act”)*
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
Meryl Streep (“Big Little Lies”)
Emily Watson (“Chernobyl”)
“Rocketman” songwriters Elton John and Bernie Taupin at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Ramy Youssef of “Ramy” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Stellan Skarsgård of “Chernobyl” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge of “Fleabag” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
“Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Ellen DeGeneres, recipient of the Carol Burnett Award, at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Brian Cox of “Succession” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Laura Dern of “Marriage Story” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Awkwafina of “The Farewell” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Patricia Arquette of “The Act” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Olivia Colman of “The Crown” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Tom Hanks, recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Michelle Williams of “Fosse/Verdon” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Brad Pitt of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Taron Egerton of “Rocketman” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Joaquin Phoenix of “Joker” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Renée Zellweger of “Judy” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
“Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Ricky Gervais (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix)
The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:
Global comedy superstar Ricky Gervais, in his unique and legendary fashion, will resume hosting duties for a record fifth time at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The three-hour telecast will air live on NBC coast to coast Sunday, January 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
The Golden Globes serve as the official kickoff to the 2020 awards season. 25 categories — 14 in film and 11 in television — are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
“Once again, they’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse. But this is the very last time I’m doing this, which could make for a fun evening,” said Gervais.
“There is always a palpable electricity in the room when Ricky takes the Globes stage. His return as master of ceremonies at the Golden Globes is much anticipated,” said Paul Telegdy, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “It is sure to make for an unexpected evening. We can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve.”
“When Ricky Gervais is at the helm of the Golden Globes Awards, we can always expect the unexpected,” said President of the HFPA Lorenzo Soria. “We’re excited to see it all unfold on Jan. 5!”
“In a world where many award shows are opting to go the no host route, the Golden Globes are going all in! It’s going to be a great night,” added Mike Mahan, CEO, Dick Clark Productions.
Last January’s NBC telecast of “The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards” averaged 18.6 million viewers in “live plus same day” Nielsens, delivering the biggest audience for a primetime telecast, excluding news and sports, in 10 months, since the prior March’s Academy Awards. The Jan. 6 “Golden Globes” coverage also generated a year-to-year increase in the key adults 18-49 demographic, with a 5.2 rating vs. a 5.0. That 5.2 more than quadrupled NBC’s non-sports 18-49 average in the timeslot the previous season and the audience of 18.6 million was up 13.5 million persons versus the prior season’s average.
Creator and star of “The Office” and “Extras,” Ricky Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. “The Office” is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. The NBC version is the most successful U.S. remake of a British show in more than 30 years.
Gervais hosted the Golden Globes in 2010-12 and returned for a fourth time in 2016.
Considered the most influential British comedian since Charlie Chaplin, Gervais is an award-winning stand-up comedian, with five international tours to date. His live stand up show “Fame” became the fastest selling UK stand-up show in history.
Gervais can most recently be seen in the dark comedy “After Life,” which he created, directs, stars in and executive produced. The series premiered March 8 worldwide on Netflix and will return for a second season in 2020.
In 2017, Gervais toured worldwide with his first stand-up special in seven years. “Humanity,” which was also recorded as a Netflix special, takes aim at human behavior with his trademark wit. He recently embarked on his follow up tour, “SuperNature,” which will also be released on Netflix.
Gervais is featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most downloaded Internet show of all time. He was named in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and awarded the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award from the Banff World Television Festival.
The Golden Globe Awards, often referred to as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year,” is one of the biggest nights on the calendar for live viewing. It’s also one of the few awards shows that combine the honorees of both film and television. The 2019 Golden Globe Awards telecast averaged a 5.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 18.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 210 territories worldwide. Lorenzo Soria is President of the HFPA. Mike Mahan, CEO of Dick Clark Productions and Barry Adelman, Executive VP of Television at Dick Clark Productions will serve as executive producers.
About Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was founded in 1943 – then known as the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association – by a group of entertainment journalists based in Los Angeles. During World War II, the non-profit organization established a cultural bridge between Tinseltown and millions of cinema fans around the world who demanded drama and inspiration through entertainment. The HFPA continues to do so today with a membership representing more than 55 countries. Since 1944, the group has hosted the annual Golden Globe® Awards – the premier ceremony which honors achievements in both television and film. The licensing fees from the Golden Globe® Awards has enabled the organization to donate more than $37.5 million to more than 70 entertainment-related charities, film restoration, scholarship programs and humanitarian efforts over the last 25 years. For more information, please visitwww.GoldenGlobes.com and follow us on Twitter (@GoldenGlobes), Instagram (@GoldenGlobes), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes).
About Dick Clark Productions
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and DCP. DCP also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. DCP is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.
