Oscars promises music, jokes and A-listers
Source: Agencies |
February 24, 2013, Sunday
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BIGGER stars, more music and edgier comedy are on the menu for today's Oscar ceremony, when the most coveted awards in the movie industry are handed out during a glittering Academy Awards show.
Producers of the three-hour Oscar telecast at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre are promising a faster-paced show and more face time with first-time host Seth MacFarlane, while honoring the best films not just of 2012 but also of decades past.
"We have more performances on that stage than we can ever remember there being in the past. And we are not trotting people out just to sing and dance. Every single thing you see on that stage will be related to movies," said Craig Zadan, who is producing the Oscar telecast for the first time with Neil Meron.
"We have devised ways that we are hoping will make the pacing faster ... That doesn't mean we are not going to give as much weight to honoring the winners, but there has been a lot of dead space in the show (in the past)," Zadan said.
Steven Spielberg's presidential movie "Lincoln" heads into the ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, followed by Ang Lee's shipwreck tale "Life of Pi" with 11, French Revolutionary musical "Les Miserables" and romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook" with eight apiece and Iran hostage drama "Argo" with seven.
All five are competing for Best Picture in a tight race that has narrowed to "Lincoln" or "Argo."
Before then, Zadan and Meron have assembled a glittering array of performers and presenters.
They include A-listers Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, John Travolta and Jennifer Aniston, along with younger stars Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
But don't count on seeing all six surviving James Bond actors on stage for a special 50th anniversary tribute to the British secret agent's movie career.
"We have a tribute to James Bond which is really exciting, but never included the concept of six guys coming out and standing there awkwardly on the stage," Zadan said, quashing speculation that Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery and George Lazenby would unite for the event.
Nominations for "Les Miserables," with Anne Hathaway tipped to win Best Supporting Actress, has opened the door to a celebration of the last decade of musicals.
This will feature Hathaway, her Oscar-nominated co-star Hugh Jackman, as well as "Dreamgirls" and "Chicago" Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
MacFarlane, the creator of provocative animated TV series "Family Guy," will also be spending more time on stage than has been traditional for Oscar hosts.
"We are having Seth be there a lot, out there introducing things, and that allows for more pacing and comedy," said Zadan.
The Academy Awards ceremony, in its 85th year, will be broadcast to some 225 nations.
Producers of the three-hour Oscar telecast at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre are promising a faster-paced show and more face time with first-time host Seth MacFarlane, while honoring the best films not just of 2012 but also of decades past.
"We have more performances on that stage than we can ever remember there being in the past. And we are not trotting people out just to sing and dance. Every single thing you see on that stage will be related to movies," said Craig Zadan, who is producing the Oscar telecast for the first time with Neil Meron.
"We have devised ways that we are hoping will make the pacing faster ... That doesn't mean we are not going to give as much weight to honoring the winners, but there has been a lot of dead space in the show (in the past)," Zadan said.
Steven Spielberg's presidential movie "Lincoln" heads into the ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, followed by Ang Lee's shipwreck tale "Life of Pi" with 11, French Revolutionary musical "Les Miserables" and romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook" with eight apiece and Iran hostage drama "Argo" with seven.
All five are competing for Best Picture in a tight race that has narrowed to "Lincoln" or "Argo."
Before then, Zadan and Meron have assembled a glittering array of performers and presenters.
They include A-listers Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, John Travolta and Jennifer Aniston, along with younger stars Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
But don't count on seeing all six surviving James Bond actors on stage for a special 50th anniversary tribute to the British secret agent's movie career.
"We have a tribute to James Bond which is really exciting, but never included the concept of six guys coming out and standing there awkwardly on the stage," Zadan said, quashing speculation that Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery and George Lazenby would unite for the event.
Nominations for "Les Miserables," with Anne Hathaway tipped to win Best Supporting Actress, has opened the door to a celebration of the last decade of musicals.
This will feature Hathaway, her Oscar-nominated co-star Hugh Jackman, as well as "Dreamgirls" and "Chicago" Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
MacFarlane, the creator of provocative animated TV series "Family Guy," will also be spending more time on stage than has been traditional for Oscar hosts.
"We are having Seth be there a lot, out there introducing things, and that allows for more pacing and comedy," said Zadan.
The Academy Awards ceremony, in its 85th year, will be broadcast to some 225 nations.
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