The American Film Academy postponed the announcement of the Oscar nominations twice and the annual lunch for the nominees was cancelled. At one point, even the award ceremony itself seemed to be in danger, but according to the Academy, the gala has significant economic importance for Los Angeles.
Instead, this year's Oscar Gala – the 97th in order – will, according to the organizers, serve as a symbol of "resilience" and "pay tribute to the work that unites the global film community". Moreover, those who fought against the forest fires will be honored, just like at the Grammy Gala earlier in February.
Many affected
Among those affected by the fires is this year's gala host Conan O'Brien, whose home in Pacific Palisades was spared, but he and his family have not yet been able to return.
I feel so many people who have lost their homes, so I've had a ridiculous stroke of luck. That's why we want to make sure the gala reflects what's happened and that we shine a light on the right people in the right way, says O'Brien to AP.
Among the presenters are stars like Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Ben Stiller, Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, Connie Nielsen, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp, as well as last year's winners Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, and Emma Stone.
Who will win?
The Golden Palm winner "Anora" is considered to have the best chance of winning after being awarded at the industry galas Producers Guild and Directors Guild last weekend, but also "Konklaven", "Brutalisten", "A complete unknown", and "Emilia Pérez" are said to be in a good position.
Among the actors, Demi Moore in "The Substance" and Adrien Brody in "Brutalisten", Zoe Saldaña in "Emilia Pérez", and Kieran Culkin in "A real pain" are mentioned as favorites.
The gala will be broadcast on Disney+ starting at 01:00 on March 3.
