Move was widely derided as a cheapening of the brand.
Memo to The Rock: You can cancel those plans for a new trophy case. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has shelved its much-derided plans to introduce a „popular Oscar“ category to its annual telecast.
The news comes a month after the Academy announced the controversial plan in a bid to boost the relevance (and thus the ratings) of its annual Oscars show — but which was immediately blasted as a cheapening of the Oscar brand.
The initial plan called for the introduction of the so-called „Popcorn Oscar“ at the 91 st Oscars in February. That idea has been suspended pending further review, the Academy now says.
„There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members,“ Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a news release. „We have made changes to the Oscars over the years –including this year — and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years.“
The Academy statement went on to note that introducing a new award nine months into the year „creates challenges for films that have already been released.“
Other changes to the telecast that were announced in August will remain in place, including the restructuring of the show to shorten the show to three hours. To achieve that, the winners in as many as eight of the Oscars‘ 24 categories will be presented during commercial breaks, with the „winning moments“ edited down and aired later in the broadcast.
The 91 st annual Academy Awards will air Feb. 24,2019, on ABC.
