Amidst the pandemic when everything is either delayed or is going virtual including movies release to the San Diego Comic-Con, The Oscars, have joined the league too. Reportedly, the 93rd annual edition of The Oscars isn’t scheduled to air until February 2021. But it appears that the upcoming ceremony could be delayed.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, say definitive plans are far from being concrete at this juncture. The telecast is currently set for Feb. 28, 2021, on ABC. “It’s likely they’ll be postponed”
Variety
The movie industry is currently dealing with the eclipse on cinema and releases. Keeping in mind the current situation, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a temporary rule allowing films that did not release in movie theatres to be eligible for the Academy Awards. Previously, it required that a film must have a seven-day theatrical release in Los Angeles County to be qualified for an Oscars nomination.
“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theatre,” said Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.
Considering the number of film releases that are being pushed to the latter half of 2020 or 2021, the decision of the Oscars seems pretty fair. Hence, filmmakers and nominees are awaiting a formal announcement regarding the event.
Regarding any formal announcement, “It’s impossible to know what the landscape will be. We know we want to celebrate film but we do not know exactly what form it will take,” said David Rubin to Variety.
The Oscars have never been cancelled and it seems a bit far fetched that it’ll go off for 2021. But if the situation remains the same, the logical measure would be to take into account all movies irrespective of their theatrical release. Oscars already miss out on a lot of deserving movies and nominations and the cancellation would add in the list of unappreciated cinema by them.
The final decision of the Academy is hugely dependent on the situation the world is facing. We hope that the Oscars keep up their record of being consistent for years and the situation gets better for everyone.