Oscars 2023: Academy Award hopes to bypass Slapshot

LOS ANGELES — It’s almost time to give back Academy Awards big hand

Okay, maybe we should rephrase that.

Telecast from Dolby Los Angeles begins at 8pm EDT on ABC. The broadcast can be streamed with a subscription to Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV. You can also stream the show on ABC.com and the ABC app by authenticating with your ISP.

Jimmy Kimmel, the show’s first solo host in five years, will host for the third time. The late-night comedian promised to make a joke about Slap; it would be “ridiculous” not to, he said.

Bill Cramer, the Academy’s executive director, said that given what happened last year, it was important to have “a host who can really turn around and drive these moments.”

“When I hosted the show, nobody got hit” Kimmel boasted Thursday on “Good Morning America.” “Everyone was well behaved at my Oscars.”

Kimmel will preside over the ceremony, which could see some big wins the best favorite is “Everything everywhere and at once”. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s indie hit comedy leads in 11 nominationsincluding nods to Michelle Ye and Ke Hui Quan.

Producers are changing some aspects of the Oscars. There is a carpet champagne color, not red. The broadcast is planned to be more interactive than ever.

Even before the show started, there were surprises. Days after producers said Lady Gaga would not be performing her nominated song “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” a person close to the producer with knowledge of the performance confirmed Sunday afternoon that eventually, a pop superstar would perform.

And host Glenn Close told The Associated Press that she would is no longer on display because she tested positive for COVID-19.

But the academy, which is still trying to find its footing after several years of the pandemic and ratings struggle, is also hoping for a smoother ride than last year. To better respond to the unexpected, a crisis management team was created. The Academy announced its response to Smith’s actions last year “inadequate”. Nor Rocco, who recently made his own the strongest statement about the incident live, Smith, who has been banned from the academy for 10 years, is not expected to.

Instead, the Academy Awards will try to recapture some of its former glory. One thing works in its favor: This year, the best picture field is littered with blockbusters. Ratings tend to rise as nominees become more popular, which is certainly the case for Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water and, to a lesser extent, Elvis and Everything At Once.

But a final contender that could do well in tech categories often dominated by big movies is this year’s top Netflix nominee: the German epic of the First World War “All Quiet on the Western Front”. It claims nine awards, tied with Irish dark comedy Banshee of Inisherin. Netflix also Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. looks like a shu-in for the best animated film.

The awards will also have star power in musical performances. Fresh her Super Bowl performance Rihanna will perform her Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “This Is Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is performed by David Byrne and supporting actress nominee Stephanie Hsu with Son Lux. Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava will perform ‘Naatu Naatu’ with the Indian action film ‘RRR’. Lenny Kravitz will perform during the In Memoriam tribute.

Last year, Apple TV’s CODA became the first streaming movie to win Best Picture. But this year, nine out of 10 nominees for the best pictures were shown in cinemas. After the downturn in the movie business during the pandemic, movie viewing has recovered to about 67% of pre-pandemic levels. But it’s been a year of ups and downs, full of blockbusters and alarming lulls at the box office.

At the same time, the rush to streaming has faced new setbacks, as studios have questioned long-term profitability and reconsidered their release strategies. This year ticket sales were strong due to releases like “Creed III” and “Cocaine bear”. But storm clouds remain on the horizon. The Screenwriters Guild and the major studios are set to begin contract talks on March 20, a battle looming that has much of the industry on edge over the possibility of a shutdown in film and television.

Meanwhile, the Oscars are trying to regain their position as the main prize. Last year’s telecast drew 16.6 million viewers, up 58% from the shortened 2021 edition and a record low of 10.5 million viewers.

Usually, the Best Actor and Best Actress awards are presented by the previous year’s acting winners. But this time it won’t be like that. Who will replace Smith in the recognition of the best female role – this is only one of the questions of the ceremony.