Every year, we all grumble about the same issues surrounding the Oscars: It’s too long! My favorite film didn’t win! Warren Beatty’s old! Well, the Academy plans to remedy that, and to paraphrase Bobby D’s Oscar-winning song, things will change.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy’s board of governors came together on Tuesday to figure out how they can add some pep to their golden-glazed step for a culture that changes rapidly by the hour.
In a memo to all members, they announced three key changes:
— For starters, they want to commit to a three-hour telecast, arguing, “To honor all 24 award categories, we will present select categories live, in the Dolby Theatre, during commercial breaks (categories to be determined). The winning moments will then be edited and aired later in the broadcast.”
–Next up, and this may be the most controversial choice, they want to create a new category: “We will create a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film. Eligibility requirements and other key details will be forthcoming.”
–And starting in 2020, the telecast will move up to an earlier date, most likely to the chagrin of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, shifting from February 23rd to Sunday, February 9, 2020. They argue the change “will not affect awards eligibility dates or the voting process.” Sure.
So, that’s that. Will it still solve all their problems? Probably not. If anything, that second piece — the new category — is likely so they can accommodate the big-budget critical darlings such as Black Panther, or Mission: Impossible –Fallout, A Quiet Place, or even Solo: A Star Wars Story. Just kidding, I’m still on an island over that one!
