Wow! New Academy Plans Are Surprising – We’ll See How Hollywood Reacts!
This isn’t Johnny Carson’s Oscars!
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Scienes just revealed some changes to the Academy Awards telecast, and a few are bound to be controversial!
Among the new changes:
A new awards category for “popular film”, no doubt to ensure that films like “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” are recognized by the Academy.
These hugely successful films have not been nominated for Best Picture in recent years, and this could ensure that “Black Panther” has a place in the show, because some feel the exclusion of big box office hits each year in the Best Picture category has hurt the primetime TV show’s ratings…
“Incredible 2” Triple Threat!
And listen to this! “Incredibles 2” COULD get triple nominated! It could be nominated as Best Animated Film, Best Picture, and because of its current box office, “Best Popular Film” as well!
Another plan is to streamline the show to a running time of three hours tops.
Most controversially, the press release includes a plan to present some categories “live” in the theater, but during commercial breaks, so they can be shown later in an edited fashion.
That will be a controversial one for many of the “below the line” categories liked sound editing – there has always been a sensitivity to the acting awards being given more attention than the so-called “craft” awards…
Deadline.com has the story, with the entire Academy press release – see it here:
https://deadline.com/2018/08/oscars-changes-popular-film-category-2020-date-1202442455/
There has been Oscar controversy in the past – remember this?
This Academy Awards performance also sparked many changes – see the story of the infamous Allan Carr-produced show here:
Let me know what you think of these new changes!
Categories: Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Awards, Books / Media, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Independent Cinema, Los Angeles, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, TV Show
johnrieber 
Oooh this is intriguing. Not sure how I really feel about this. I see what they’re trying to do but some really weird movies could end up with an Oscar. The Oscars do love a little controversy don’t they haha
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Yes they do – this new popular category will be that years Marvel film, Pixar and whatever other effects-driven spectacle plays well in theaters! A bit of an air of desperation to it – will this REALLY turn the ratings around? Thanks for the comment as always!
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I can’t see it working how they want it to work at all. If anything they may even lose ratings
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The feedback has been overwhelmingly negative so far…we will see – it also depends not he quality of films nominated, and whether the normal Best Picture nominees are all independent art films, which will only further the divide
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Yeah will just have to see what happens and how it pans out
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A ‘popular’ Oscar? I have a feeling that the whole thing is being ‘dumbed down’, not unlike the inclusion of so many ‘non-sports’ in the Olympics.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, they are losing viewers dramatically because none of the most popular films are nominated – so now it’s kind of a “People’s Choice Award” Initial reaction across social media is VERY negative!
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