Steven Spielberg Speaks Out Against Exclusion Of 8 Oscar Categories From Telecast
Spielberg is the most well-known and successful filmmaker in Hollywood, and now he’s the most powerful voice yet to speak out against the Academy’s horrific decision to remove award presentations in eight categories from the upcoming ceremony. If anyone could convince the Academy to change their mind, it would be Spielberg (who’s on the Board of Governors), but even he doesn’t think they’ll reverse course. His statement via Deadline:
“I disagree with the decision made by the executive committee. I feel very strongly that this is perhaps the most collaborative medium in the world. All of us make movies together, we become a family where one craft is just as indispensable as the next,” the 19-time Oscar nominee and Thalberg Award winner told me. “I feel that at the Academy Awards there is no above the line, there is no below the line. All of us are on the same line bringing the best of us to tell the best stories we possibly can. And that means for me we should all have a seat at the supper table together live at 5.”
That of course is a reference to the actual ABC broadcast start time. The Academy has announced plans, though, to present eight categories beginning at 4 p.m. at the Dolby. Those categories are Production Design, Sound, Original Music Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Film Editing, Documentary Short, Live Action Short, and Animated Short.
“When I look back and I think without John Williams, Jaws would wear dentures. With West Side Story, when Tony is singing ‘Tonight’ with Maria, without (Production Designer) Adam Stockhausen he would be singing it on a step-ladder and she would be on the scaffolding, all this on an empty soundstage. Without film editing all my movies would still be in dailies,” he said.
The Oscars have never before separated live and pre-taped categories. It has always been a red line, but due to declining ratings there has been pressure to make significant changes to the show.
Does Spielberg hope the decision would be reversed?
“Yes I would, but I have tremendous respect for my fellow governors, and I have tremendous respect for David Rubin,” he said, emphasizing the latter about his colleagues at the Academy while noting this idea came first up in 2019. “The same thing came close to happening three years ago and at the eleventh hour a decision was made that reversed it and four categories that were in the commercial breaks were reinstated on the live show. I hope it’s reversed, but I’m not anticipating a reversal and I am not optimistic about it.”
