The Oscars are getting some serious star power this year. Elle Fanning, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Penélope CruzScarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, and Bowen Yang have just been announced as presenters for the 97th annual Academy Awards.
And in true Oscars tradition, last year's winners—Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., and Da'Vine Joy Randolph—will return to hand out the top acting prizes for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
As the big night approaches, more names will be added to the lineup, so expect a few more surprises.
To refresh your memory, Murphy won Best Actor for "Oppenheimer," Stone took home Best Actress for "Poor Things," and Downey and Randolph earned Supporting wins for "Oppenheimer" and "The Holdovers."
This year's show also brings some fresh energy to the hosting gig, with Conan O'Brien making his Oscars debut. “We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year. He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise," said the show in a statement.
The ceremony airs Sunday, March 2, on ABC, kicking off at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. That earlier start time, introduced in 2023, is sticking around—meaning a little less midnight scrambling for East Coast viewers. Raj Kapoor is the executive producer and showrunner for this year's Oscar broadcast, alongside executive producer Katy Mullan.
Stay tuned for more presenter announcements.
This year's Oscars will celebrate the best films of 2024 while honoring victims of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. If you're a frequent viewer of the Academy Awards ceremony, you can expect some more of the same: stunning outfits, a funny host pulling off an incredibly difficult job, and, of course, expect the unexpected.
The Oscar nominees were announced on January 23rd, with 10 films nominated for best picture. Leading the pack is the controversial film, "Emilia Perez," with 13 nominations. Over the past week, Oscar nominee Karla Sofia Gascon, the movie's lead star, has been scrutinized over past tweets about Selena Gomez, religion, and diversity at the Oscars. The tweet allegedly from Gascón called Gomez a "rich rat." Gascón denied it, telling CNN en Español, "Of course that's not mine. I have never said anything about my partner. I would never refer to her that way."
"The Brutalist" and "Wicked" are less controversial but equally nominated, and they follow the list with 10 nominations each. "Anora," "A Complete Unknown," "Dune: Part 2," "Conclave," and more will also be competing that night.
To check out the complete list of nominees, read here.