The show must go on.
Hollywood has limped into 2021, hamstrung by a pandemic that left many theaters closed for a year or more, movie releases delayed, and productions struggling. Though the industry is dragging itself back to life, there’s little doubt that there are still rough times ahead. But if there’s one axiom to which the movie business clings, it’s that the show must go on. And so, the people who make, distribute, watch, promote, and write about movies are once again gearing up for the Super Bowl of film: the Oscars. That’s right. The Oscars are back, albeit with some big changes. And if you have questions, you’re not alone. Here are some answers — and some bigger questions they raise, too. First things first: The 2021 Oscars will take place April 25 in Los Angeles. And maybe on the internet? The annual Academy Awards ceremony, a.k.a. the Oscars, has always been held in Los Angeles, which is the home of the American movie industry. (From 1953 to 1957, the ceremony was held simultaneously in LA and New York City, but given the era, it was a technical nightmare.) This year, they’ll be held in Los Angeles as usual, but they’ll be broadcasting from two different locations: the Dolby Theatre, where the ceremony has been held since 2002, and Union Station, a transit hub for the city. (It should be interesting!) The awards are usually held in late February or early March. In 2020, the Oscars were held in early February, in an unusual attempt to shake up the lengthy, expensive campaigns, akin to political campaigns, that most studios run for the films they hope will win awards. (Remember the 2020 Oscars? Parasite won Best Picture. That actually happened.) The ceremony was slated to return to a late February date this year. However, in June 2020, with no end to the pandemic in sight and theaters closed across the country, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took a gamble and postponed the 2021 ceremony, pushing it back two months, from February to April. The organization most likely hoped that by the turn of the year, the pandemic would have subsided, movie theaters would be more widely open — particularly in the key markets of Los Angeles and New York — and that it would be possible to show movies in theaters and hold an in-person ceremony. Now, it’s 2021, and it seems clear that… well, some of that may sort of happen, if we’re lucky. Movie theaters are only just beginning to reopen in New York and LA. Vaccine distribution is moving along, but in late April the Oscars ceremony will still be subject to Covid-19 restrictions. So part of the Academy’s risk-taking hasn’t paid off, and most Oscar voters have watched eligible movies on disc or via streaming platforms at home. And yet the ceremony itself will likely still benefit from the later date, both because spring weather in LA will provide an opportunity for outdoor proceedings if desired, and because the delay will give producers more time to design a good show. It’s not clear how many people will be in attendance at the Dolby or at Union Station. But if the recent Grammys ceremony is any indication, it’s quite plausible that some stars will be at the Oscars in person in Los Angeles, with others at satellite locations elsewhere (like New York, as we saw at the Golden Globes), and still others alone at home or in studios, using the kind of technology the Emmys employed last fall. The Academy has had some time to watch other ceremonies and see what works.
