The producers of this year’s Oscars ceremony have “cast” 14 actors and one Academy Award-winning director to serve as presenters in lieu of a host.
Last year’s acting winnersJoaquin Phoenix,Renee Zellweger,Brad PittandLaura Dernwill present along withParasitedirectorBong Joon Ho, and they’ll be joined byAngela Bassett,Halle Berry,Don Cheadle,Bryan Cranston,Harrison Ford,Regina King,Marlee Matlin,Rita Moreno,Reese WitherspoonandZendaya.
It stands to reason that Phoenix, Zellweger, Pitt and Dern will present the categories for which they won last year, and that director Bong will hand the Best Director Oscar to – let’s be serious –Chloé ZhaoforNomadland, who remains the heavy favorite.
The producers are likely hiding a few other surprises up their sleeves, hence the “more” on the poster, but I’d say they’re off to a solid start, especially given the ongoing pandemic.
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“In keeping with our awards-show-as-a-movie approach, we’ve assembled a truly stellar cast of stars,” producersJesse Collins,Stacey SherandSteven Soderberghsaid in a joint statement. “There’s so much wattage here, sunglasses may be required.”
The Oscars featured a rotating group of 10 presenters in both 1969 and 1970, and neither ceremony featured a host. This year’s producing team inherits an unprecedented situation rife with restrictions, but one that also leaves room for plenty of creativity.
The Oscars will air Sunday, April 25 at 5 p.m. PT, and Deadline expects all of the nominated songs to be performed during the pre-show, which is certainly one way to cut down on the actual show’s ever-bloated runtime. I can’t wait for Hollywood’s big night, if only to see who wins the hyper-competitive Best Actress statue.
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