Show to address 2022’s Slapgate incident in ‘comic fashion’
Last year’s Best Actor winner Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage
Lady Gaga will not be performing her Oscar-nominated song, Hold my hand, from Top Gun: Maverick at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday. During the press conference on Wednesday, the creative team — which included executive producer-showrunner Glenn Weiss, executive producer-showrunner Ricky Kirshner, musical director Rickey Minor, writers Dave Boone, Nefetari Spencer and Agathe Panaretos and producer Sarah Levine Hall — also addressed the Will Smith factor.
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Traditionally, the previous year’s Best Actor winner presents the Best Actress award. However, Smith, who resigned from the Academy after he slapped host Chris Rock, is banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
“We’re going to acknowledge it, and then we’re going to move on,” said executive producer Molly McNearney. She added, “We don’t want to make this year about last year. It’s certainly something we can and will address in a comic fashion.” Kirshner, a new addition to the team, stated that this will be a new show, and will be different from what viewers are used to. “We’ve rethought the show and we’ve got presenters that make sense for the categories,” he avered.
Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, had last year maintained that all categories will be included in the live telecast, and that will be evident during the proceedings. Kirshner shared that this year’s show is about “honouring the crafts and what it takes to make a movie.” He added, “Most people see just the actors in front of the camera, but there is a huge team that make movies and a lot of people across the country don’t know what it takes, but we’re going to show that.”
Also Read: Oscars adds 'crisis team' to 2023 show following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident
Minor, who served as the show’s music director in 2020, said, “As a team, we talk about not only the presentation of the music but also the diversity of all these beautiful films and the great writers.” The orchestra will be on stage and featured throughout the show. Besides celebrating Hollywood film music and its composers, Minor reiterated the ceremony would delve into the 95th anniversary of the awards. “It’s a treasure trove. We have a lot of material to choose from,” he said.
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