The Golden Globes are called the “party of the year” and every big event in Tinseltown usually has a long closing ceremony and a lot of partying. But 2024 is a new year and Hollywood is no longer the same place it once was.
On Friday evening, however, the scene outside Chateau Marmont reflected pre-pandemic days. A huge crowd of fans crowded the narrow sidewalk above Sunset Boulevard. Paparazzi rushed to snap pictures of Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Nic Cage and Emma Stone as they climbed out of their respective SUVs and headed upstairs to make guest appearances at W Magazine's annual Best Performance party at the disco ball-adorned penthouse of the hotel. Chateau's chic doorkeeper Anya Varda was heard uttering “They hate me” in reference to the parents or the fans, but either could be true.
Outside Penthouse 64, party crashers worked the door, dropping names and trying to get into the room where it was supposed to happen (without success). What they missed inside were black-clad waiters offering trays full of caviar blinis and mini burgers, and a bar with free-flowing margaritas from Casamigos. W's Sara Moonves and Lynn Hirschberg exchanged hugs with almost every A-lister, including Gerwig, who was spotted by pointing her iPhone at the ceiling, twisting her arm in a crane motion, and finally Barbie herself, Robbie, zoomed in.
Alex Wolff whispered to German film star Franz Rogowski that he should be nominated for his leading role in Passages. Everyone's favorite best friend Derek Blasberg walked around the room in a red suede jacket, Addison Rae took a selfie on the terrace and stars like Willem Dafoe, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys headed downstairs for a bite to eat in the hotel's courtyard after the party. Even hotelier André Balazs was there after a controversial season, giving Kelly Lynch a hug as they glided through W's fest.
Maybe normality has returned to the Hollywood social scene?
Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Nicolas Cage Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Emma Stone, Lynn Hirschberg, Julia Garner and Editor-in-Chief Sara Moonves. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Could it be that after the devastating blows of successive strikes, followed by widespread cutbacks, layoffs, and general agitation among studio executives and streamers, everyone was ready not only to rub shoulders again, but to let go and celebrate? Not so fast. After chatting on the Chateau set with a senior awards insider, it became clear that the industry is still making its way out of a generally terrible time. Yes, the champagne was flowing, but there weren't as many parties over Golden Globes weekend as there used to be. The existing invitations are more exclusive.
“The mood is… we don't know yet,” the insider said. “Everyone is definitely happy to be together, but we are still taking a step back after the strike. There are many questions. Should we have a party or not? Who should we invite? Where should we have the party? “I know there are more people who want to come to parties because they didn't get a ticket to the Golden Globes, but you don't want people showing up to a separate party at the Hilton like a loser with their nose pressed to the glass.”
Another source at the party said: “Things were strange, and they still are strange.”
Willem Dafoe and Barry Keoghan. Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Nick Kroll and Jon Hamm. Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Danielle Brooks, Storm Reid, Quinta Brunson, Gabrielle Union, Jurnee Smollett, Taraji P. Henson, Niecy Nash and Ayo Edebiri Roger Kisby/Getty Images
There is also a lot going on. By far the most popular conversation at the party was how stressed and overworked insiders are right now. (It's worth noting at this point how successful the phrase “I have to go to a question-and-answer session” has been in politely and efficiently ending partisan talk.) The strike threw the awards season schedule into disarray, and events are crowded in an already hectic corridor ahead of the Oscars in March. This week, the Golden Globes are followed by the Academy's Governors Awards, SAG Award nominations, the National Board of Review Awards Gala, the AFI Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards. That's just this week. Unsurprisingly, there is now a shortage of clothes due to empty showrooms.
Things are complicated too. “For the last few years, there has been a big problem every January,” explained one veteran of the party scene, alluding to #MeToo, the pandemic and Donald Trump’s presidency, to name a few. In 2024, the conflict between Israel and Hamas will play a major role, as will the ongoing war in Ukraine and the upcoming elections. “The fact is that there are currently two wars raging in which civilians are being destroyed by complete lunatics and lunatics, and we are here doing this.” [awards season]Poor Things star Mark Ruffalo told THR. “I just think it’s important that we keep it that way. We cannot ignore that it is happening. There is a lot of suffering in the world. This is nothing compared to what lies ahead, but [awards season] a nice rest for people.”
Veterans of the game have noticed how much it has changed. “I’ve been in the business for 25 years,” Eva Longoria explained. “I started doing this when gift bags were in abundance. Remember it? You could join to receive the amazing gift bags. But I like it better now because it's about work and the process is a little more serious and serious. The election campaign was switched to substance as opposed to a popularity vote. I also like the more intimate gatherings because you can get down to business and talk about the filmmaking or TV production process.”
Another industry insider with decades of experience in the industry examined the Globes party landscape and had this to say: “It's a strange year. There are too many variables that haven't been present in previous years to take into account, such as a recent strike, budget cuts, hiring freezes, the upcoming Emmys and all the regular awards events happening at the same time. This hasn't been a year to make a statement with a big party at the Globes, which are still going strong. If you’re going to create a party, you want to maximize it for all voters.”
Or maximize the weekend. On Saturday evening, Apple TV+ took over the Sunset Tower not for a Globes party, but for an AMPAS tastemaker celebration. Guests included Martin Scorsese and his Killers of the Flower Moon team, Guillermo del Toro, Reese Witherspoon with son Deacon Phillippe, Natasha Lyonne and Paul Walter Hauser, a winner at last year's Globes.
Sunday's show competed with the second night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. This scenario also contributed to fewer on-site parties at the Beverly Hilton, which has hosted nearly half a dozen post-show parties for thousands of revelers in recent years. Amazon, Netflix, NBC Universal, Disney, HBO, Fox, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and InStyle, as well as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (now just the Golden Globes) have hosted Globes events at the Hilton in recent years.
Jeremy Allen White with Moët & Chandon. Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Many of these companies suffered heavy losses during a lengthy strike that put studio finances in the spotlight. Therefore, now wouldn't be the best time to throw a lavish party for well-heeled guests, say several insiders, who cited optics as a reason for keeping things low-key. Luckily, the ticketed guests who made it to the Hilton had somewhere to go thanks to Billboard, which teamed up with the Golden Globes for an official afterparty. This year, the partners took over a space previously used by HBO for a gathering that brought together winners like Billie Eilish and Finneas, Lily Gladstone and the crew of The Bear while their trophies were engraved.
The city's top talent agencies were forced to reckon with the impact of one-two punches on their bottom lines, which is why CAA and UTA kept their brawls “small and very intimate,” according to one source. CAA hosted a private meeting at Chateau Marmont while UTA took over La Dolce Vita.
UTA directors Jeremy Zimmer and David Kramer welcomed winners Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) and Justine Treit (Anatomy of a Fall) as well as nominees such as the newlyweds Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Sandra Hülser, Will Ferrell and Tony McNamara and Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie) and guests including Harrison Ford, Jack and Dennis Quaid, newlyweds Chris Evans and Alba Baptista, Mads Mikkelsen and holdovers guru Alexander Payne.
The Golden Globes aired on CBS and Paramount+, and if this was a typical year and everyone had plenty of money, it wouldn't have been a surprise if Paramount had thrown its own bash after the show, but that didn't happen, so bosses like Brian Robbins ducked into La Dolce Vita. Other executives making the rounds included Showtime's David Nevins, Amazon Studios' Jen Salke, Warner Bros. executives Pam Abdy and Josh Goldstine, DC Studios' Peter Safran, Paramount+ boss George Cheeks and Jeremy Erlich Spotify.
Jeremy Zimmer, Tracy James, Brian Robbins and David Kramer. Eric Charbonneau / Le Studio Photography
Newlyweds and Barbie employees Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Eric Charbonneau / Le Studio Photography
Theresa Peters from UTA with Mads Mikkelsen. Eric Charbonneau / Le Studio Photography
Jack and Dennis Quaid. Eric Charbonneau / Le Studio Photography
Giamatti with Billy Lazarus of UTA and manager Perri Kipperman. Eric Charbonneau / Le Studio Photography
Netflix and Universal got in on the post-show action, with the latter having a lot to celebrate thanks to Christopher Nolan's wins for Oppenheimer. The filmmaker and his producing and life partner Emma Thomas, along with other winners including Cillian Murphy, Ludwig Göransson and Da'Vine Joy Randolph of The Holdovers, toasted their team's victories at Uni's private party at Tommy's in Beverly Hills.
Oppenheimer's victories included Brian Roberts, Michael J. Cavanagh, Ludwig Göransson, Matt Damon, Josh Peck, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Quaid, David Dastmalchian, Emma Thomas, Michael Angarano, Josh Zuckerman, Cillian Murphy, Olli Haaskivi, Emily Blunt and Christoper to Nolan and Donna Langley. Alex J. Berliner/ABImages
Dominic Sessa, Alexander Payne. Benjamin Shmikler/ABImages
David Cassidy, Peter Kujawski, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Roberts, Jimmy Horowitz Alex J. Berliner/ABImages
Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. Alex J. Berliner/ABImages
Netflix also had a hot party, thanks to guests like Ted Sarandos, Bradley Cooper and his team of maestros, including Carey Mulligan, Dave Chappelle, Lenny Kravitz, Jon Batiste, beef winners Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, Eilish, Andrew Scott, Colman Domingo, Gerwig, May/December's Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman and Charles Melton, Jon Hamm, winner Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Sudeikis, Creative Arts Emmy winner Sam Richardson and even disappointed host Jo Koy.
Still, some things remain the same on an evening that showed how much Hollywood has changed in recent years. After finishing an appearance in the press room to talk about his Holdovers win for Best Actor (and before hitting the party scene), Giamatti rushed from the Hilton to Westwood, where he joined his girlfriend Clara Wong and representatives like UTA's Billy Lazarus and manager Perri Kipperman for burgers, fries and soda at LA institution In-N-Out.
Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge, which also owns .