Oscar hopes to return a year after slap

LOS ANGELES (AP) – It’s time to give Academy Awards big hand

Okay, maybe we should rephrase that.

The broadcast from Dolby in Los Angeles starts at 8:00 pm EST on ABC. The broadcast will be streamable with a subscription to Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV, and Fubo TV. You can also stream shows on ABC.com and the ABC app by authenticating with your provider.

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

Bill Kramer, executive director of the film academy, said given what happened last year, it was important to have “a host who can really make a difference and manage these moments.”

“Nobody got hit when I hosted the show.” Kimmel boasted the irony Thursday on Good Morning America. “Everyone behaved well at my Oscars.”

Kimmel will preside over a ceremony that could lead to big wins for t The best favorite film is “Everything and everywhere, and all at once.” Indie hit action comedy by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert leading in 11 nominationsincluding tributes Michelle Yeoh And Ke Hai Quan.

The producers are changing some aspects of the Oscars. Carpet champagne color not red. The broadcast is planned to be more interactive than ever.

But the academy, still struggling to get back on its feet after years of battling the pandemic and ratings, is also hoping for a smoother game than last year. The Crisis Management team was created to help respond better to the unexpected. The academy has named its response to Smith’s actions last year “inadequate”. Nor Rock, who recently made his the strongest statement about the incident live, and Smith, who has been banned by the academy for 10 years, will not be attending.

The Oscars will instead try to regain some of its former luster. One thing is working in his favor: the field of best pictures this year is filled with blockbusters. Ratings tend to go up when the nominees are more popular, which is certainly the case for Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of the Water, and, to a lesser extent, Elvis and Everyone Everywhere.

But the final contender who can do well in the tech categories – where bigger films often reign supreme – is Netflix’s top nominee this year: German epic of the First World War “All Quiet on the Western Front”. It won nine awards, tying for second place with the Irish dark comedy The Banshee of Inisherin. “Pinocchio Guillermo del Toro” from Netflix also looks like an ambush for the best animated film.

The awards will also have stellar 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” will be performed by David Byrne and nominated actress Stephanie Xu with Son Lux. Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava will perform “Naatu Naatu”. Indian action epic “RRR”. Lenny Kravitz to perform at In Memoriam tribute. (Lady Gaga, who is currently in the film, will not perform her nominated song “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.)

Last year, Apple TV’s CODA became the first streaming movie to win Best Picture. But this year, nine out of 10 Best Picture nominees went to the box office. After the movie business collapsed during the pandemic, theater attendance has recovered to around 67% of pre-pandemic levels. But it was a year of ups and downs, full of hits and unsettling lulls in theaters.

At the same time, the streaming drive was facing new setbacks as studios questioned long-term profitability and revised their release strategies. Ticket sales were strong this year thanks to releases such as “Creed III” And “Cocaine Bear” But there are storm clouds on the horizon. The Writers Guild and major studios are set to begin contract negotiations on March 20, a looming battle in which much of the industry is battling to stop film and TV work.

Oscar, meanwhile, is trying to reclaim its position as the main show. Last year’s telecast was watched by 16.6 million viewers, up 58% from the 2021 shortened version, which was watched by a record low 10.5 million people.

Usually, last year’s acting winners present awards for Best Actor and Best Actress. But this time it won’t be like that. Who will replace Smith for Best Actress is just one of the questions facing the ceremony.

Follow AP Film writer Jake Coyle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

To learn more about this year’s Oscars, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards