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That is part of the plan to shake up this
year's Academy Awards telecast, which faces a pivotal test on
Sunday to try and rebound from last year's record-low ratings.
After going without a host since 2019, the latest Oscars boasts
three: comedians Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. It
marks the first time a trio of women will emcee the ceremony,
each bringing her own sense of humor.
"We're already starting with three vaginas," Hall said in an
interview. "I think three women on stage already sets (the show)
off, so I think we're starting pretty hot."
"Trainwreck" star Schumer has described her style as
"mean-spirited" and said she is ready to "burn some bridges" in
the A-list audience. "That's why we're all here, just so we can
trash each other," she joked in a video released by broadcaster
ABC.
At the same time, producer Will Packer promises the 94th Oscars
will celebrate movies around a theme of "Movie Lovers Unite."
Some presenters, including skateboarder Tony Hawk and rapper
Sean Combs, come from outside the film business, a signal the
show is not just for cinephiles.
In its heyday, the Academy Awards reigned as must-see TV and
served as a glitzy commercial for Hollywood. More than 55
million U.S. viewers tuned in when megahit "Titanic" swept the
honors in 1998.
Last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted organizers to
move the ceremony to a train station with limited attendance and
no musical performances, viewership sank to 10.4 million on ABC,
which has rights to televise the show through 2028.
And while the audience size is shrinking, the age of viewers
watching traditional television, including the Oscars, is
rising, said media consultant Brad Adgate.
"Younger viewers are not staying home to watch this," Adgate
said. "I think the genre has become passe, like beauty pageants
used to be a big event on television. It's slipping into that
category."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes
the Oscars, is not alone in this challenge.
With the exception of NFL football games, live TV viewing has
declined across the board as viewers turn to streaming shows on
demand or spend time on TikTok and Twitter. The Emmys and
Grammys also posted record-low viewership during the pandemic.
Plus, ratings data do not capture all of the viewership on
streaming.
At this year's Oscars, music will be back with performances by
superstars Beyonce, Billie Eilish and others.
Organizers also hope to highlight some of the year's biggest
movies by announcing the results of two fan polls conducted on
Twitter, for favorite film and best film moment.
Recent nominations have tended to focus on arthouse titles. This
year's most-nominated movie, "The Power of the Dog," is a
psychological thriller that streamed on Netflix, about a cruel
ranch owner in the American West.
Producers are aiming to keep the show to three hours. Some years
it has stretched beyond four.
To help keep within that time limit, winners of eight awards
including sound and production design will be announced inside
the Dolby Theatre just before the TV broadcast. Edited
recordings of their speeches will be played during the telecast.
The change sparked a backlash from Steven Spielberg and others
who said it was a slight to craftspeople who are critical to
bringing movies to the screen.
"They are trying to make the show punchier and shorter," said
Nigel Smith, movies editor at People magazine. "Hopefully,
that's the kind of show we're going to be seeing, something
surprising and new and fresh."
If ratings decline further, he added, "they're just going to
have to go back to the drawing board."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Additional reporting
by Alicia Powell in New York; and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles;
Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang)
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