The Oscars are back. The 94th Academy Awards will feature streaming appearances such as “The Power of the Dog” that will include theatrical exclusives such as “West Side Story” and mixed editions such as Warner Bros. ‘ ‘Dune’ and ‘King Richard’ (T).
The studios’ mixed distribution models, bolstered by the pandemic, could somewhat complicate the live-versus-theatrical battle as most of this year’s highly anticipated films lean toward a hybrid release strategy.
“We’re still in the very unusual Oscar market,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comscore, told Yahoo Finance during a recent interview.
“It doesn’t seem to be a pre-pandemic era yet,” the analyst continued, stressing the link between the Oscars and the movie experience in general.
“Until the theatrical experience fully returns — and we’re in the middle of that recovery now — both in terms of the box office, and from an industry perspective, it won’t be the traditional Oscars,” Dergarabedian forecasts.
He added that “the cultural impact is much greater for the film that is shown in the cinema,” citing box office bump This often happens with both wins and nominations.
Live broadcasters are losing Oscars momentum, but it’s still ‘more receptive’
Although last year saw a rise in the number of nominations in broadcast studios, this year has seen a slight decrease.
Netflix (NFLX) to this year’s Nod 27 Awards Show (led by “Power of the Dog”, a Best Picture winner favorite); However, that’s down from 35 nominations in 2021.
Amazon Prime Video (AMZN) also only reduced 3 gestures this year (led by “Being the Ricardos”), compared to 12 last year.
Meanwhile, Apple TV + (AAPL) The nod scored her first Best Picture with “Coda” and it jumped to a total of 6 nominations, up from 2. Hulu last year (dis) remained in full swing with only one nomination.
“One of the biggest things that has come out of the pandemic, in terms of the film industry, is that operators now have the opportunity to represent their films,” Comscore’s Dergarabedian said.
“The pandemic has changed a lot of things, including which films can be eligible for an Academy Award and the criteria and protocols surrounding that. Hollywood is still operating in that environment and there is now greater acceptance of those films that come from streamers,” he continued.
This year’s Snubs included actors from Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci and Jennifer Hudson, who played Aretha Franklin in Respect.
Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was also excluded from the Best Picture category, despite its success at the box office with over $1 billion in global ticket sales.
The way back to normal
Unlike last year’s Pandemic event (which took place inside Union Station in Los Angeles), 2022 will see the triumphant return of the Dolby Theater with a full pre-show on the red carpet before the ceremony.
Comscore’s Dergarabedian noted the importance of offering an award in person rather than a hybrid or virtual one, explaining that “the cultural resonance that the Academy Awards have depends not only on the films, but also on the television broadcast and the event itself.”
“We are still on that path for a more ‘normal’ season,” the analyst noted.
The event, which has been the least hosted since 2018, will also feature a women’s-led trio of Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. The last trio to host was Chevy Chase, Paul Hogan and Goldie Hawn in 1987.
Another change this year is the removal of eight award categories from live television, including original score, film editing, production design, sound, makeup and hairstyling, and the three short film awards for documentaries, live action and animated shorts.
“When deciding how to produce the Academy Awards, we recognize that it is a live television show of the event and we must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer interaction and keep the program alive, fresh and relevant,” Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president David Rubin said in an earlier letter.
Relevancy has always been a persistent problem for the Academy Awards, which have struggled to capture the interest of the wider public.
“This is not your grandparents’ Oscar show…”Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst at Comscore
According to Nielsen, Oscars last year A decline of 58.3% (13.75 million) compared to 2020 with only 9.85 million viewers – a new record. Prior to that, the 2020 show saw 23.6 million viewer participation, a 20% drop from 2019 levels, and about 3 million below the previous low of 2018.
“It just shows you how difficult it is to get a ‘perfect tone’, in terms of how it is presented…and it evolves. This is not an Oscar show for your grandparents, and the films that have been played are not what they used to be,” Dergarabedian said.
However, the decision to reduce the size of the show and eliminate certain categories, albeit for the sake of time, caused an uproar throughout Hollywood.
Artists union IATSE issued the following statement with group president Matthew Loeb, who wrote in part, “By the nature of our jobs, behind-the-scenes workers receive little recognition, despite being the backbone of every production…We believe there is a deviation from certain crafts and categories. without others detrimental to this essential purpose.”
“Our position remains that awards should place all positions that make images possible on an equal footing,” Loeb continued. “If the winners come out with the same trophy, the winners deserve the same recognition. I urge the Academy to reconsider.”
The 94th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 27th on ABC.
Alexandra is the Senior Entertainment and Food Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter aliecanal8193
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