EXCLUSIVE: Change is afoot at Funny or Die, Deadline has discovered, with Kathy Goodman now to function CEO of the esteemed comedy studio.
Serving as Senior Advisor to proprietor Henry R. Muñoz III ever since his acquisition of the corporate a number of years again, Goodman steps into the position of Mike Farah, who will quickly depart Funny or Die after a run of greater than fifteen and a half years. Also departing is Joe Farrell, who has been with the corporate for practically 13 years, serving as Chief Creative Officer for the previous few.
While transitioning out of their present government roles, Farah and Farrell will stay government producers on After Midnight, Comedy Central’s just lately launched late-night sport present hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, and proceed to supply the slate of tasks they’ve created. Michelle Rosette is remaining aboard as CFO, with the seek for a brand new Chief Comedy Officer in command of improvement in its last levels. Goodman begins her work as CEO on Monday, March 18.
In a memo to workers on Monday, which you’ll be able to learn in full under, Muñoz shared that Funny or Die will proceed to supply some “premium long form content” going ahead,” whereas noting that the main target is admittedly on reimagining and reinvigorating the model, as “an integrated, multi-platform content studio for a diverse new generation of comedic talent.” In an effort to evolve alongside an evolving media panorama, the corporate will now place nearly all of its give attention to creating short-form digital content material for a number of platforms, we’re advised.
The studio behind the latest, Emmy-nominated TV film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Funny or Die was based in 2007 by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy, famously launching in brief type with “The Landlord,” which our sister publication Rolling Stone credit as one among “The Viral Videos That Built YouTube.” Watching as Ferrell is accosted by his foul-mouthed, two-year-old landlord Pearl (daughter of his then-creative accomplice McKay), the quick has been seen many tens of millions of occasions over the many years and achieved its mission of constructing model consciousness for the fledgling media firm.
Over the years, Funny or Die has additionally produced comedy specials like Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted, in addition to Zach Galifianakis’ beloved internet collection Between Two Ferns and affiliated Netflix movie, truTV’s Billy on the Street, Comedy Central’s @midnight and After Midnight, and extra.
Muñoz acquired the corporate from stakeholders together with AMC Networks, WarnerMedia and Sequoia Capital in 2021. For additional particulars on the evolution afoot at FOD, keep tuned.
Funny or Die colleagues:
I needed to take a second to share just a few updates to our firm priorities and imaginative and prescient.
Following many months of planning, the senior management of Funny 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 Funny or Die did when it pioneered digital comedy 17 years in the past.
The time to make these daring adjustments is now so as to keep forward. We will embrace and pioneer a singular new method to innovation at FOD. This will likely be an method that’s rooted in digital inventive excellence and prominence.
We will proceed to supply premium lengthy type content material with the purpose of reworking into an built-in, multi-platform content material studio for a various new era of comedic expertise. Funny or Die and the 40 million guests we welcome each week would be the place for the following era of revolutionary creators within the comedy area.
Starting Monday, March 18, Kathy Goodman, who has been my Senior Advisor since day one among this journey, will step into the position 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’ll accomplish. They will quickly be joined by a brand new inventive colleague as we’re within the last section of our seek for a brand new Chief Comedy Officer. We have set this position as one that can curate the expertise and content material for FODigital and align with our Funny Original and Diverse 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 creative high quality. Although they’re transitioning out of their present government roles, they’ll stay Executive 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. This 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 will all the time be our core worth as an organization and as three associates.
I’m additionally grateful to Jairo Alvarado, of ReDefine Entertainment for main this planning course of over the previous few months and I look ahead to his continued steerage.
I’m proud that the colourful inventive group I joined and have invested in during the last three years has been acknowledged for the creative high quality of our work, simply this yr successful so many awards, together with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie 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 look ahead to the way forward for Funny or Die, and to constructing upon its distinctive place in American in style tradition alongside you all.
More to return, Henry
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