Oscar prep! Stars get ready for the Academy Awards as the show promises to be VERY different this year with no plus-ones thanks to COVID-19
- Stars were busy getting ready for the 93rd annual Academy Awards which takes place on Sunday evening
- The awards show will be very different due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; it will be socially distanced
- And the ceremony is taking place not at a large theater in Hollywood but rather at Union Station downtown
- But there is a still red carpet at Union Station with a total of 170 guest and there will be press there as well
- And there will be satellite feeds, not Zoom calls, with the nominees who need to look good on camera
- That means hundreds of guests have to be dressed up for the dress code which does not allow hoodies
- Reese Witherspoon was one of the first to share her behind-the-scenes looks from her glam session at home
- Also on Sunday it was reported the Oscar for Best Picture is set to be handed to the lowest grossing top movie in the award show’s 93 year history
- The night’s top prize is widely expected to go to Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand
Stars were busy getting ready for the 93rd annual Academy Awards on Sunday afternoon.
The awards show will be very different as it will be a socially distanced event held not in Hollywood but in downtown Los Angeles at Union Station with only 170 people and not the usual 3,000.
But there will still be a red carpet, even if there will be much less people on it and very few cameras.
The presenters list is small but includes many big named such as Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Regina King, Renée Zellweger, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Marlee Matlin, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix and Harrison Ford.
Scroll down for a list of nominees…
Getting ready: Reese Witherspoon, who will serve as a presenter at the glitzy event which honors the top achievements in filmmaking, was seen at home the day of. The Little Big Lies actress had little makeup on with her hair down and a hoodie on that read Oscars 2021
The event may be one of the least seen Academy Awards of all time due to the lack of celebrities attending the event.
And there are also claims the Oscar for Best Picture is set to be handed to the lowest grossing top movie in the award show’s 93 year history. The night’s top prize is widely expected to go to Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand.
As far as stars getting ready for the splashiest night in Hollywood, the glam team was in full swing by lunch time.
Reese Witherspoon, who will serve as a presenter at the glitzy event which honors the top achievements in filmmaking, was seen at home the day of. The Little Big Lies actress had little makeup on with her hair down and a hoodie on that read Oscars 2021.
The siren – who won an Oscar for her turn in Walk The Line – was outdoor and pointing to her top. ‘It’s #Oscars Sunday! Who’s tuning in tonight?’ the Legally Blonde beauty wrote in her caption.
All good! Her Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern, who will also present at the Oscars, was seen getting a COVID-19 test while in the comfort of her home. All guest were asked to stay away from crowded places like gyms for 10 days before the show. While at the show they will be tested again with temperature checks
Her Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern, who will also present at the Oscars, was seen getting a COVID-19 test while in the comfort of her home.
All guest were asked to stay away from crowded places like gyms for 10 days before the show. While at the show they will be tested again with temperature checks.
The Wild At Heart star was on the patio as she held a cotton swab.
Glenn Close posted an image of her feet getting some tender loving care.
The nail expert worked on her feet, including a massage for the beloved Fatal Attraction actress.
Cheers! Glenn Close was in a gray robe as she held up a drink while her hair and makeup was getting done inside a hotel room
Healing hands: Close posted an image of her feet getting some tender loving care. The nail expert worked on her feet, including a massage for the beloved Fatal Attraction actress
Set to go! Presenter Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for her work in 1987’s drama Children Of A Lesser God, shared an image of her hoodie and cap that was stamped Oscars 2021. All that could be seen of the actress, 55, were her nicely manicured hands and large diamond wedding rings. She was holding what appeared to be an invitation
Dressed in a black top and mask with worn in jeans, she was far from ready for the big night.
Presenter Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for her work in 1987’s drama Children Of A Lesser God, shared an image of her hoodie and cap that was stamped Oscars 2021.
All that could be seen of the actress, 55, were her nicely manicured hands and large diamond wedding rings. She was holding what appeared to be an invitation.
Actor Janie Foxx, who won a best actor Oscar for the 2004 biopic Ray, posted to Instagram that he is keeping his fingers crossed for a win for Disney/Pixar animated feature Soul
Meanwhile actress nominee Amanda Seyfried shared a funny photo of a spoof award
Actor Janie Foxx, who won a best actor Oscar for the 2004 biopic Ray, posted to Instagram that he is keeping his fingers crossed for a win for Disney/Pixar animated feature Soul.
Meanwhile actress nominee Amanda Seyfried shared a funny photo of a spoof award.
Lights, camera, action: Giuliana Rancic, a host for E!, was seen on getting dolled up before she hit the red carpet for rehearsals
The A team at work: The star was in a beige and black floral top as she credited Emma Willis and Ashley Sarah on her team
A behind the scenes look at a very unusual carpet: And here the reality TV star wore a green sweater as she checked out the carpet before the stars arrived
Giuliana Rancic, a host for E!, was seen on getting dolled up before she hit the red carpet for rehearsals. The star was in a beige and black floral top as she credited Emma Willis and Ashley Sarah on her team.
Zanna, a correspondent for E! News, also shared several images from behind-the-scenes of her do-over for the Oscars.
The perky blonde was seen in her bathroom as she had her hair done into a floppy and fun updo.
‘It takes a village,’ she said as she added her glam team members for the red carpet look such as Traci Garrett for hair.
Le look: Zanna, a correspondent for E! News, also shared several images from behind-the-scenes of her do-over for the Oscars
So much to juggle: The perky blonde was seen in her bathroom as she had her hair done into a floppy and fun updo
Village people: ‘It takes a village,’ she said as she added her glam team members for the red carpet look such as Traci Garrett for hair
The look: Preparations continue for the 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles
This year, the series will adapt to the demands of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for a socially distanced show that attempts to follow safety recommendations while steering clear of the virtual format other award shows have adopted.
To underscore the changes due to the pandemic, there will be no host, no audience, nor face masks for nominees attending the ceremony at Los Angeles’ Union Station — this year’s hub for a show usually broadcast from the Dolby Theatre – though they will have to mask up when not on stage. And there will be COVID-19 testing as well as temperature checks.
And guests – Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon and Zendaya have been secured – are not able to bring guests.
There will only be about 170 attendees in all, which is far less than the 3,000 that normally attended the Oscars pre pandemic.
Covid-19 precautions: The Oscars are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic by having only 170 attendees at LA’s Union Station this year, while Zoom appearances are banned; Union Station seen being prepared for the ceremony on Friday
In contrast with the largely virtual Golden Globes, Zoom boxes have been closed out — though numerous international hubs and satellite feeds will connect nominees unable to travel.
Due to the pandemic, the audience will be significantly capped at the venues, with only 170 attendees allowed inside Union Station, according to the Los Angeles Times.
That’s compared to the usual 3,000 people that the Dolby Theatre can accommodate.
‘As soon as you open the door beyond nominees, their plus-one and the presenters, you can’t control it,’ said filmmaker and first-time Oscars producer Steven Soderbergh at a press conference last week.
What a difference: The Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are normally held, can accommodate up to 3,000 people; Brad Pitt seen in February 2020
Taking it seriously: Steven Soderbergh and other Oscars producers told attendees in a letter that the show is being treated ‘as an active movie set’ with ‘an on-site Covid safety team with PCR testing capacity’; seen in 2019 in NYC
‘And so that was not even a question for us. Like, this is how it has to be done. [Disney executive] Bob Iger won’t be there. That is just where we are at, and that is how we are being allowed to do it this way.’
In order to keep things moving smoothly, the show will have a bevy of rapid Covid-19 testing and temperature checks on site.
‘We are treating the event as an active movie set, with specially designed testing cadences to ensure up-to-the-minute results, including an on-site Covid safety team with PCR testing capability,’ the Oscar producers wrote in a letter to nominees last month.
In order to cut down on risks, attendees have been asked to skip going to crowded places like gyms or restaurants for the 10 days prior to the ceremony.
It doesn’t hurt that California now has the lowest coronavirus case rates in the continental United States.
Blessing: It doesn’t hurt that California now has the lowest coronavirus case rates in the continental United States
Oscar’s Best Picture winner is set to be the category’s LOWEST-grossing in the award show’s 93 year history after the pandemic shuttered theaters: 2009’s The Hurt Locker holds current record at $17m
The Oscar for Best Picture is set to be handed to the lowest grossing top movie in the award show’s 93 year history on Sunday evening.
The night’s top prize is widely expected to go to Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand.
Should it be victorious, it will become the lowest grossing Best Picture ever after making around $2.5 million Deadline reports. That’s a record currently held by Kathryn Bigelow’s 2009 title The Hurt Locker which grossed $17 million.
It will also be one of the lowest budget best-picture winners ever. Zhao’s film, populated by mostly nonprofessional actors, was made for less than $5 million. Her next film, Marvel’s Eternals, has a budget of at least $200 million.
Even if it does not take home the top gong, the other movies nominated in the category also saw low returns at the box office.
The biggest ticket-seller of the best picture nominees is Promising Young Woman, with $6.3 million in box office.
Judas and the Black Messiah is said to have grossed $5.4 million, Minari $2.57 million and The Father $1.6 million.
Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Sound of Metal were each given short theater runs before streaming on Netflix and Apple.
The night’s top prize is widely expected to go to Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland,’ starring Frances McDormand, pictured. Should it be victorious, it will become the lowest grossing Best Picture ever after making around $2.5 million Deadline reports
That’s a record currently held by Kathryn Bigelow’s 2009 title The Hurt Locker which grossed $17 million. Director Kathryn Bigelow accepts her Oscar with presenter Barbara Streisand during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010 in Hollywood
The lowest grossing Best Picture winners
1. The Hurt Locker (2009): $17,099,352
2. Moonlight (2016): $28,962,945
3. Hamlet (1948): $31,841,433
4. All The King’s Men (1949): $36,699,117
5. Marty (1955): $37,246,865
6. An American in Paris (1951): $43,192,038
7. Birdman (2014): $44,633,117
8. It Happened One Night (1934): $46,558,582
9. Spotlight (2015): $47,438,998
10. The Artist (2011): $49,560,089
11. The Great Ziegfeld (1936): $53,860,575
12. 12 Years a Slave (2013): $60,709,583
13. Gigi (1958): $63,036,131
14. The Shape of Water (2017): $63,842,519
15. Crash (2005): $69,713,284
As reported by Goliath; figures are adjusted for inflation
The pandemic pushed several anticipated movies out of 2020.
Most North American theaters weren’t open for six months straight through the summer season, which typically accounts for around 40% of the year’s profits.
That means for the first time, Hollywood’s most prestigious awards will overwhelming belong to films that barely played on the big screen.
Award show ratings have also cratered during the pandemic, and this year’s nominees – many of them smaller, lower-budget dramas – won’t come close to the drawing power of past Oscar heavyweights like ‘Titanic’ or ‘Black Panther.
Lately, with vaccinations expanding, signs of life have begun to show in movie theaters – most of which are operating at 50 per cent capacity.
Warner Bros.’ ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ has made around $400 million worldwide, which theater owners point to as proof that moviegoers are eager for studios to again release a regular diet of big movies.
Right now, the date circled on cinema calendars is May 28, when both Paramount’s ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ and Disney’s ‘Cruella’ arrive in theaters – though ‘Cruella’ will simultaneously stream for $30.
And this weekend at movie theaters featured something not seen for a while: a genuine box-office battle. Warner Bros.′ ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot and the Japanese anime film ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ both vied for the top spot.
The two releases fueled the best weekend for movie theaters during the pandemic, with an estimated $54.2 million in ticket sales overall, according to data firm Comscore.
The 93rd Academy Awards will begin at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. There will be no host, no audience, nor face masks for nominees attending the ceremony at Los Angeles’ Union Station – this year’s hub for a show usually broadcast from the Dolby Theatre.
Last year’s Oscars, when Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Parasite’ became the first non-English language film to win best picture, was watched by 23.6 million, an all-time low.
The show appears to be trying to downplay the use of masks, as presenters won’t wear them when on camera, but they will be required to have them on during commercial breaks.
Soderbergh has been cagey about the use of masks, but he suggested they might play some kind of prominent role for the ceremony during his news conference.
‘Here is our quote on that: Masks are going to play a very important role in the story of this evening,’ he said. ‘And if that is cryptic, it’s meant to be. But that topic is very central to the narrative.’
He also tried to tamp down on fears by adding that the film industry has had ‘a lot of practice’ in finding safe ways to work amid the pandemic.
A view of the red carpet appears before the start of the Oscars on Sunday
It is guaranteed to be an Oscars like no other: broadcast live from a train station, honoring films few saw in movie theaters, and reuniting Hollywood’s A-listers for the first time in more than a year due to Covid-19
‘This industry was at the forefront of creating protocols to get people back to work safely,’ he continued. ‘I’m in the middle of shooting my second film during COVID. We know how to approach situations like this. It’s incredibly labor intensive. It’s incredibly complex logistically, and it’s expensive.
‘There is no universe in which we are going to ever put anybody at risk. And so we are hoping to combine safety with a show that feels like a glimpse of what is going to be possible when most people are vaccinated and, you know, rapid, accurate, cheap testing is the norm. So COVID is going to be there because it’s everywhere, but we want to put it in its place and then sort of move forward,’ he explained.
93rd Academy Awards: Who are the 2021 Oscar nominees?
Best Picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Picture: The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one of the eight films nominated
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand – Nomadland
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman – The Father
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Youn Yuh-jung – Minari
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Olivia Colman is up for her role in The Father
Best Music (Original Score)
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul
Best Animated Short Film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People
Best Live Action Short Film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye
Best International Feature Film
Another Round
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Best Sound: Greyhound – a war film starring Tom Hanks – is up for the gong
Best Sound
Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal
Best Cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
News of the World
Nomadland
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Music (Original Song)
Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah
Hear My Voice – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Husavik – Eurovision Song Contest
Io Si (Seen) – The Life Ahead
Speak Now – One Night in Miami…
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is vying for the award
Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
David Fincher – Mank
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Gary Oldman – Mank
Steven Yeun – Minari
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom, Jr. – One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Animated Feature Film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers
Best Animated Feature Film: A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is nominated
Best Costume Design
Emma
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinnochio
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami…
The White Tiger
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Documentary Feature
Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher
Time
Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Judas and the Black Messiah is up for the gong
Best Documentary Short Subject
Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song for Latasha
Best Film Editing
The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Production Design
The Father
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet
Best Visual Effects
Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio
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