Photo: Variety
KARACHI: With the second wave of Covid-19 hitting the world, events are either being pushed further or taking place virtually. Film screenings, panel discussions and much more is happening online, connecting people from various parts of the world. However, the upcoming edition of the Academy Awards will not be a virtual event. Oscars 2021 will have an “in-person telecast,” according to a representative from the Academy and ABC.
Speaking exclusively to Variety, the source informed that there will be no “virtual” event. “The Oscars in-person telecast will happen,” he shared.
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This year, the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences shifted the annual presentation back two months to April 25, 20201. This was due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sources close to the Oscars quote that the date was pushed hoping theatres may open again in the spring which would have allowed more films to compete at the awards.
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However, given the current scenario, the organizers are now focusing to assure that the event continues as it always has live. There are still some uncertainties as to exactly how many people are allowed inside the 3,400-seat Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where the ceremony traditionally takes place.
“The Academy has done a walkthrough of the Dolby recently to see all the multiple options,” an awards publicist familiar with the situation told Variety. However, as of now, it’s not clear what safety protocols will be introduced for the ceremony. It’s not certain how many of the nominees will be able to — or will agree to — attend the event in person. In the acting races, many seasoned actors are on the older side, including Anthony Hopkins, 82; Ellen Burstyn, 88; Sophia Loren, 86; Meryl Streep, 71; David Strathairn, 72; and Yuh-Jung Youn, 73.
