Hollywood actors and film crews have lost their homes as flames continue to engulf the Los Angeles region. Yet many film and TV productions are back to work after a brief pause.
An air tanker drops fire retardant at the Palisades Fire on January 11Image: Ringo Chiu/REUTERS
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As wildfires ripped through the Hollywood hills and the coastline that's home to the stars, Los Angeles' massive film industry began to grind to a halt.
Celebrities including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Adam Brody, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges and Billy Crystal are among those who have lost their homes, as more than 12,000 buildings and structures have been destroyed by the fires. But beyond the A-list actors, editors, producers, extras and crew that keep productions rolling have also been displaced.
Having burned some 40,000 acres and so far killed at least 24 people, a number of blazes threatened production studios in LA, but all emerged unscathed, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The fires prompted the producers of the late night Jimmy Kimmel show, and the long-time medical drama, "Grey's Anatomy," to abandon production.
Fires destroyed waterfront homes in Malibu where Hollywood stars like Jeff Bridges lost his propertyImage: Mike Blake/REUTERS
The nominations for the Academy Awards and the Writers Guild of America were also postponed, along with premieres of movies and series including Meghan Markle's "With Love, Meghan," "Barking Action," "Unstoppable" and "Wolfman."
A joint statement by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and its president, Janet Yang, referred to the "profound losses experienced by so many in our community" when confirming the Oscars nominations delay — though the awards ceremony is still scheduled for March.
"The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship," the statement added.
Los Angeles wildfires overwhelm firefighters, residents
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Hollywood productions go indoors
But even as the fires continue to burn out of control, many of the scripted series that were paused from production in LA, including "Grey's Anatomy," "911" and "Doctor Odyssey," have resumed filming in indoor studios, according to reports.
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"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" also returned to the air this week at studios that had been evacuated due to looming fires in LA's Runyon Canyon.
The late night show host, who last year MCed the Oscars for the fourth time, described the scale of the wildfire disaster and its impact on the entertainment industry during his monologue.
Jimmy Kimmel, here hosting the 2024 Oscars, described the devastation of the LA fires on his show Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance
"As you know, it has been a very scary, very stressful, very strange week here in LA — where we work, where we live, where our kids go to school," said Kimmel.
"Some of our co-workers lost their homes. It's been terrible. Everyone who lives in this city knows someone — most of us, multiple people — families, friends, colleagues, neighbors whose houses burned down."
Meanwhile, the Sundance Film Festival, which takes place in Utah but is strongly connected to the LA film industry, will go ahead as planned on January 23. This is despite the fact that Michelle Satter, a film executive who has been with the Sundance festival since its founding, also lost her home to the fires.
"Our heart goes out to everyone who's experiencing loss during this devastating time in our city," she wrote in a social media post. "Sending love and support and hoping we can all find a way forward."
After Beyonce announced her $2.5 million donation, she also postponed a mystery reveal planned for January 14Image: Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS
Film industry digs deep for fire victims
Donations have been rolling in to help the fire victims, with the Jimmy Kimmel show transforming its car park into a collection point for donations, according to Variety magazine.
Major Hollywood studios such as Disney, Warner Bros. and Netflix have also committed 10s of millions of dollars in aid for disaster victims.
"Many of our employees and creative partners have been directly impacted by this disaster," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in a statement. He added that the streamer will donate $10 million (€9.7 million) "to provide immediate relief and will continue to support families and businesses as they work to rebuild in the months and years ahead."
Various stars have also pledged aid money, including Beyonce, who is donating $2.5 million through her foundation BeyGOOD to help families who have lost their homes.
A number of benefit concerts are also planned, including FireAid in the 18,000-seat Intuit Dome in LA that promises an all-star line-up.
The money raised will go towards "rebuilding infrastructure, supporting displaced families, and advancing fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure LA is better prepared for fire emergencies."
2024 Oscars: Viral moments and top wins
"Oppenheimer" swept the awards, but other moments also went viral, including Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken" and Jimmy Kimmel's jabs at former US leader Donald Trump.
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance
Cillian Murphy wins best actor as 'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars
His acclaimed portrayal of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has led Cillian Murphy to become the first Irish-born star to win best actor at the Oscars. "We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we are all living in Oppenheimer's world, so I'd like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere," the actor said in his acceptance speech.
Image: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP
7 Oscars for 'Oppenheimer'
"Oppenheimer" went into the night with 13 nominations and won seven prizes overall, including the award for best picture. Here, the biopic's director Christopher Nolan (center) and producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven pose with their statuettes. Meanwhile, "Poor Things" took four Academy Awards and "The Zone of Interest" scored two.
Image: Carlos Barria/REUTERS
Robert Downey Jr. is more than a Marvel star
Another one of the "Oppenheimer" winners, Downey Jr. took the Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of US government official Lewis Strauss. Accepting the award, he joked: "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood, and the Academy, in that order." Best known by Marvel fans as Iron Man, the actor overcame drug-related issues and is now one of Hollywood's highest-grossing stars.
Image: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP
Messi the dog among guest stars
Germany was hoping to see Sandra Hüller win the Oscar for best actress for her performance in "Anatomy of a Fall." The German star didn't pick up the acting prize, but the film did win best original screenplay. And one of Hüller's co-stars made a noted appearance at the ceremony: Messi the dog provided a viral moment by "applauding" during Robert Downey Jr.'s speech.
Image: Mike Blake/REUTERS
Ryan Gosling steals the show with 'I'm Just Ken' performance
The actor electrified Oscar night with his performance of the hit song from the movie "Barbie," accompanied by 65 Kens — including co-stars Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa — as well as Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and musician Mark Ronson, who co-wrote the song. However, despite being one of the gala's most memorable moments, the nominated song didn't pick up an Academy Award.
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance
Billie Eilish wins Oscar for best song
Another song from the "Barbie" soundtrack topped "I'm Just Ken." Written by Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, "What Was I Made For?" won the best song Oscar. It had already won two Grammy Awards in February. In her speech, Eilish thanked her best friend, Zoe, "for playing Barbies with me."
Image: Mike Blake/REUTERS
Emma Stone takes second best actress Oscar for 'Poor Things'
The "Poor Things" star faced a wardrobe malfunction while accepting her best actress Oscar, explaining that a rip in her Louis Vuitton gown probably happened while she was dancing to Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken." Stone's bold role as Bella Baxter in the period fantasy comedy directed by Yorgos Lanthimos led to her second best actress win, following her 2017 Oscar for "La La Land."
Image: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP
Da'Vine Joy Randolph continues her winning streak
After many wins ahead of the Oscars, Randolph also took the Academy Award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for her powerful portrayal of a grieving mother in Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers," about a group of people forced to spend the Christmas break together at a school. "For so long I've always wanted to be different. Now I realize I just need to be myself," she said.
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/picture alliance
'Zone of Interest' director makes Gaza statement in Oscars speech
"Our film shows where dehumanization leads," said Jewish director Jonathan Glazer, accepting the best international film Oscar for his Holocaust drama "The Zone of Interest." The filmmaker is "against Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October 7 in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza."
Image: Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA/picture alliance
Jimmy Kimmel calls out Trump
The ceremony's host, Jimmy Kimmel, threw a jab at Donald Trump in one of his monologues. The former US president lashed out at the comedian's performance in a post on social media platform Truth Social. Reading the scathing review on stage, Kimmel thanked Trump for watching and asked, "Isn't it past your jail time?" — referring to the criminal cases weighing down the Republican candidate.
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance
'20 Days in Mariupol' wins best documentary
"This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history. And I'm honored," said Mstyslav Chernov, whose war-reporting film, "20 Days in Mariupol," won the Academy Award for best documentary. "But probably I will be the first director on this stage who will say, I wish I had never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities."
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance
