The Academy Awards confirmed that the annual event will not be turned into a virtual ceremony, and will still be hosted as an “in-person telecast” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Oscars are not willing to break tradition and will be taking the necessary precautions for the 2021 event, however it was announced that the long-awaited awards will be moved to April 25.
The reason for the new schedule involves the imminent hit taken by the film industry, now that movie theaters are closed, and the release of highly-anticipated films is taking place on streaming platforms or has been postponed for a later release.
The event, which usually takes place in February, is aiming to give more films the opportunity to compete in the awards, as it is expected that theaters will be open in spring.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also confirmed that the movies that premiered on streaming platforms would qualify for submission.
© HBO MaxThe list of movies that have been released this year on digital platforms includes, The Witches starring Anne Hathaway, Wonder Woman 1984 , which will be released on HBO Max, the horror movie Antebellum, Mulan on Disney Plus, and Borat 2 with a massive success on Amazon Prime.
The Oscars will take place at the 3,400-seater Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, however the limit of people that usually attend the ceremony is not yet clear.
As for the rest of major ceremonies, television’s Emmy Awards was organized as virtual-only and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel with limited staff at the Staples Center.
