Updated, March 8: Ruth E. Carter (Oscar-winning costume designer of “Black Panther”), Anthony Hopkins (last year’s Best Actor winner for “The Father”), Lily James, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek (Best Actor winner for “Bohemian Rhapsody”), and Uma Thurman have all been added as Oscars presenters for the 94th ceremony.
Earlier, March 3: After a long-haul awards season, the Oscars are nearly upon us in just over three weeks.
That means, as is tradition, the Academy has announced its first wave of presenters for the 94th annual ceremony, broadcasting live on ABC and around the world on Sunday, March 27, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. This year, the event returns to the Dolby Theatre after a scrappy pandemic show in the downtown Los Angeles Union Station last year.
“Dances with Wolves” Oscar winner and “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner, “The Batman” star Zoë Kravitz, Oscars 2022 also-ran Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”), 1993 Oscar nominee Rosie Perez, four-time Emmy winner Chris Rock, and “Minari” Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn will all present at the Oscars, produced this year by Will Packer and Shayla Cowan. The Academy didn’t specify which categories any will present, but you can bet that Youn will present the Best Supporting Actress award (which she won last year) and that Lady Gaga will likely not be presenting the Best Actress prize. (After months of rigorous campaigning, she did not end up with a nomination for “House of Gucci.”)
“Movies inspire us, entertain us and unite us across the globe,” said Packer in an email to media. “That’s the precise goal of the show this year, and we’re thrilled to welcome the first of a stellar lineup joining the Oscars stage to help us celebrate the power of film and honor the year’s best in filmmaking.”
The producers will continue to announce additional talent joining the show in the coming weeks.
While bringing a little hallowed tradition back to the Oscars is much needed after last year, the 2022 show is not without some controversy. Earlier in February, the Academy announced that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for seated and most other guests, but not for presenters or performers.
In addition to the vaccine policy, the Academy clarified their masking rules for the Oscars. Nominees and their invited guests will not be required to wear masks in the theater and will be seated near the stage with social distancing in place. Other attendees seated further back will have to wear face coverings, as they will be sitting shoulder to shoulder.
That said, the Academy is reducing the capacity of this year’s show to 2,500 versus its usual 3,300, forgoing the annual member ticket lottery to cut back on butts in seats.
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