The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) has backtracked on its no-Zoom rule for the Oscars after complaints from nominees based outside the US, and is instead reported to be setting up European “hubs” so those unable to travel to the ceremony in Los Angeles because of Covid regulations can participate.
The organisers of the Oscars show, including the Ocean’s Eleven director, Steven Soderbergh, had earlier said it would “not be an option [for nominees] to Zoom in for the show”, due to be held in April. But according to the Hollywood Reporter, in a group call with all nominees the producers outlined plans to set up venues in London and Paris as uncertainty prevailed over travel restrictions.
Soderbergh reportedly apologised for the lack of transparency over the issue, and stressed the fluidity of arrangements, but said of Zoom participation: “We hope it doesn’t come to that.” The producers encouraged everyone who can to travel to Los Angeles for the event, but acknowledged that quarantine regulations would make it difficult. Los Angeles county now requires a 10-day quarantine for visitors. The event’s Covid consultant, Dr Erin Bromage, said a testing facility specifically for the Oscars had been established.
The Academy has been contacted for comment.
Ampas had initially resisted any remote participation in its Oscars show, particularly after technical hitches caused problems at the Golden Globes. The producers originally told participants in the repeatedly delayed ceremony: “We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and enjoyable evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.”
The producers said nominees and their guests would gather at a courtyard in the Union railway station, while other show elements would be held live inside the Dolby theatre about eight miles (13km) away.
However, a significant number of nominees, including the Promising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan and the film’s writer-director, Emerald Fennell, are based in the UK, which has banned all non-essential travel (though exemptions, including for work, are permitted). Other high-profile names who may be affected include Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman and Riz Ahmed (nominated for best actor), Olivia Colman (nominated for best supporting actress) and Sacha Baron Cohen, who is nominated for best adapted screenplay for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and best supporting actor for The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Nominees for best international film are also likely to be affected, with film-makers from Romania, Denmark and Bosnia in the running.
The Oscars ceremony had originally been scheduled to take place on 28 February, but in June 2020 Ampas announced the event would be delayed by two months and the eligibility criteria adjusted, including allowing the nomination of films released on streaming platforms.
The nature of the ceremony has also changed radically, with Soderbergh reportedly describing it to nominees as a “kind of a cocktail party, essentially”, with “nominees … rotated throughout the evening so we don’t exceed the limit”. The red carpet area, a tradition of the Oscar walk-in, has also been reconfigured, with Soderbergh saying: “There will be red stuff on the ground as you walk past [Union] station.”
Ampas is aiming to hold up the TV audience for the Oscars, which in 2020 hit the lowest ever recorded figures in the US of 23.6 million viewers. The host network, ABC, which is thought to pay about $75m (£55m) a year on a contract that runs until 2028, recently put substantial pressure on Ampas to reinvigorate the show after years of declining audience figures.
