EXCLUSIVE: Change is afoot at Humorous or Die, Deadline has discovered, with Kathy Goodman now to function CEO of the esteemed comedy studio.
After serving as Senior Advisor to proprietor Henry R. Muñoz III since his acquisition of the corporate a number of years again, Goodman steps into the function of Mike Farah, who quickly will depart Humorous or Die after a run of greater than 15½ years. Additionally departing is Joe Farrell, who has been with the corporate for almost 13 years, serving as Chief Inventive Officer for the previous few.
Whereas transitioning out of their present government roles, Farah and Farrell will stay government producers on After Midnight, CBS’s lately launched late-night sport present hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, and proceed to supply the slate of tasks they’ve created. Michelle Rosette stays aboard as CFO, with the seek for a brand new Chief Comedy Officer in command of growth in its ultimate phases. Goodman begins her work as CEO on Monday, March 18.
In a Monday memo to employees, which you’ll be able to learn in full under, Muñoz shared that Humorous or Die will proceed to supply some “premium lengthy kind content material” going ahead. In the beginning, although, the main focus will probably be on reimagining and reinvigorating the model, as “an built-in, multi-platform content material studio for a various new era of comedic expertise.” In an effort to evolve alongside an evolving media panorama, the corporate will now place nearly all of its deal with creating short-form digital content material for a number of platforms, we’re instructed.
The studio behind the latest, Emmy-nominated TV film Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story, Humorous or Die was based in 2007 by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy, famously launching in brief kind with “The Landlord,” which our sister publication Rolling Stone credit as considered one of “The Viral Movies That Constructed YouTube.” Watching as Ferrell is accosted by his foul-mouthed, two-year-old landlord Pearl (daughter of his then-creative accomplice McKay), the brief achieved its mission of constructing model consciousness for the fledgling media firm, happening to be considered many tens of millions of instances over the many years.
Along with comedy specials like Tig Notaro: Boyish Lady Interrupted, Humorous or Die has produced Zach Galifianakis’ beloved internet sequence Between Two Ferns and affiliated Netflix movie, truTV’s Billy on the Avenue, Comedy Central’s @midnight, CBS’s After Midnight, and extra. Muñoz acquired the corporate from stakeholders together with AMC Networks, WarnerMedia and Sequoia Capital in 2021.
His new CEO, Goodman, started her profession as a finance lawyer earlier than transitioning into worldwide movement image finance and launcing manufacturing and finance firm, Intermedia Movies. Shortly after that firm went public on the German Neuemarkt, and earlier than becoming a member of Humorous or Die, she left the leisure business to show public highschool in Los Angeles, throughout which period she additionally turned co-owner of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
For extra on the evolution of Humorous or Die, keep tuned.
Humorous or Die colleagues:
I needed to take a second to share a couple of updates to our firm priorities and imaginative and prescient.
Following many months of planning, the senior management of Humorous or Die have created a plan that places us ready to evolve together with the altering media panorama. This second presents an incredible alternative to reimagine and reinvigorate our work in the identical impactful method Humorous or Die did when it pioneered digital comedy 17 years in the past.
The time to make these daring modifications is now with the intention to keep forward. We’ll embrace and pioneer a singular new strategy to innovation at FOD. This will probably be an strategy that’s rooted in digital artistic excellence and prominence.
We’ll proceed to supply premium lengthy kind content material with the aim of reworking into an built-in, multi-platform content material studio for a various new era of comedic expertise. Humorous or Die and the 40 million guests we welcome each week would be the place for the following era of progressive creators within the comedy house.
Beginning Monday, March 18, Kathy Goodman, who has been my Senior Advisor since day considered one of this journey, will step into the function as CEO, working intently with Michele Rosette, our CFO, who has additionally introduced years of enterprise planning expertise and monetary acumen to FOD. I’m excited to see what they are going to accomplish. They may quickly be joined by a brand new artistic colleague as we’re within the ultimate section of our seek for a brand new Chief Comedy Officer. We now have set this function as one that may curate the expertise and content material for FODigital and align with our Humorous Unique and Numerous mission.
I’m very grateful to Mike Farah and Joe Farrell for his or her a few years of stewardship and for his or her dedication to inventive high quality. Though they’re transitioning out of their present government roles, they are going to stay Government Producers on After Midnight and proceed to supply the wealthy slate of tasks that they helped create. I wouldn’t be right here at FOD if it weren’t for them, and we stay united by our
shared understanding that humor could be a highly effective instrument for social and cultural understanding. That is what introduced us collectively throughout the pandemic and extends again to us working collectively to have President Barack Obama sitting Between Two Ferns. It’s going to at all times be our core worth as an organization and as three buddies.
I’m additionally grateful to Jairo Alvarado, of ReDefine Leisure for main this planning course of over the previous few months and I sit up for his continued steerage.
I’m proud that the colourful artistic group I joined and have invested in over the past three years has been acknowledged for the inventive high quality of our work, simply this 12 months profitable so many awards, together with the Emmy Award for Excellent Tv Film and breaking new floor in late evening tv with After Midnight. The previous three years have been each difficult and thrilling for me, however greater than ever, I sit up for the way forward for Humorous or Die, and to constructing upon its distinctive place in American fashionable tradition alongside you all.
Extra to return, Henry
