The 93rd Oscars are this Sunday, April 25, and are going to be a little different than usual for a lot of reasons. Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh is overseeing this year's telecast which he says will "feel more like a film" and will be maskless, hostless, and brought to you live from LA's Union Station (outdoors), the Dolby Theater (indoors) and various remote locations from around the world.
“The most exciting thing about this show is that it is going to feel like a film, in the sense that, at the end, we hope it’ll feel like you watched a movie,” Soderbergh told Vanity Fair. “Everybody will be a character: Every nominee, every person that gives an award, will feel like characters in a film. And in the end, you’ll know who everybody was and what they wanted. You’ll have a connection to everyone in this show. What we want to do is have this three-hour movie in which some awards are given out.” We'll have to tune in to find out exactly what that means.
Another way the Oscars will be different this year: the musical performances of the five nominated songs will be moved to a pre-show special titled Oscars: Into the Spotlight. Celeste, H.E.R., Leslie Odom Jr., Laura Pausini, Daniel Pemberton, Molly Sandén and Diane Warren pre-taped their performances from the Dolby Family Terrace of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and, in one case, Húsavík, Iceland.
This year's Best Song Nominees are: H.E.R.'s "Fight for You" from Judas & The Black Messiah, Celeste's "Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7, "Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga; Laura Pausini's "Io Si (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (which won the Golden Globe), and Leslie Odom Jr's "Speak Now" from One Night in Miami.
"We've come up with some serious pre-game and post-game action to enhance our main event," said Soderbergh and co-producers Jesse Collins and Stacey Sher in a statement. "Our suggestion is just tune in for the whole shebang, otherwise you'll miss something really unexpected and fun."
In addition to the musical performances, Oscars: Into the Spotlight will "highlight the nominees' journey to Hollywood's biggest night," and "give fans around the world the ultimate insiders' sneak peek to the party." It's hosted by Ariana DeBose (Hamilton) and Lil Rel Howery (Bad Trip) and airs Sunday, April 25 from 6:30-8 PM on ABC, ABC.com and the ABC streaming app.
There's also a post-show, "Oscars: After Dark," that's hosted by actors Colman Domingo (Zola) and Andrew Rannells (The Prom, Girls), features interviews by film critic Elvis Mitchell and will recap "the evening's must-see moments and showcase Oscar winners as they have their statuettes personalized." That airs immediately after the Oscars on Sunday night.
The Oscars air Sunday at 8 PM and this year's Best Picture nominees are The Father, Judas & The Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
