Rita Ora snuggles up to Oscar winning beau Taika Waititi for Super Bowl date

Clayton Davis Details of this year’s upcoming Oscars telecast are emerging following a Wednesday meeting between the Academy and representatives for the studios and talent publicists.On Tuesday, it was announced that several major categories will not be presented on the air during the live telecast. Instead, in an effort to present a more streamlined and television-friendly broadcast, eight honors will be awarded one hour before the on-camera portion, and then later edited into the March 27 ceremony.The reaction to the Oscars’ new format was met with strong reactions from the industry.

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora coordinate their all-white looks for Fendi‘s Fashion Show during 2022 Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday (February 23) in Italy.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentOscar is a perfect metaphor for COVID. Or maybe COVID is a metaphor for Oscars. Either way, both center on a sense of uncertainty, with people loudly advocating a “return to normal.”The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced Feb.

After filing a wrongful-death lawsuit last week against Rust producers and pic’s star/producer Alec Baldwin over the death of Halyna Hutchins, her husband Matt Hutchins told Today’s Hoda Kotb that he was “so angry” at Baldwin for his ABC News interview, and found it absurd that the Oscar nominee finds himself “not responsible” for the death of the cinematographer

The Academy’s plan unveiled yesterday to cut Best Editing and seven other categories from this year’s live Oscar telecast to resuscitate viewership has received reactions of shock, disappoint and outrage – and that’s from the people who are being polite.

“Columbus” filmmaker Kogonada and Justin Chon executive produce and direct four episodes each, with Kogonada directing the pilot. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce for Media Res; Theresa Kang-Lowe executive produces for Blue Marble Pictures; and Richard Middleton also executive produces.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterA week ago, Oscar nominees from branches including editing, sound, and makeup and hair were invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a virtual town hall. They assumed, according to one individual who attended the Tuesday event, that the meeting was being called to discuss COVID-19 protocols for Hollywood’s biggest night.Instead, they were informed that their categories would not air live on the telecast, said the source (a current nominee who agreed to speak with Variety on the condition of anonymity).

Andrew Garfield suits up for a special screening and conversation of tick, tick…Boom held at 92nd Street Y on Tuesday night (February 22) in New York City.

When the 94th annual Academy Awards are broadcast next month, not all of the awards presented will be aired live.

For years, ABC has tried to remove some of the categories from the primary Oscars telecast. After record-low ratings in 2021, it appears their wish has partially come true.

Clayton Davis You can find strange similarities between almost any two years for Oscar prognosticating. Just days away from the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards and three weeks out from BAFTA and Critics Choice ceremonies, there are odd correlations between this year’s crop of nominees and the ceremony that rewarded the 1952 cinematic year.Denis Villeneuve’s omission from best director for the sci-fi drama “Dune” was the most shocking when Oscar nominations were announced.

Jamal Edwards, an icon in the British music industry and member of the British Empire (MBE), has sadly died at just 31 years old on Sunday. Edwards was a multifaceted talent who grew famous as a YouTube pioneer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. His mother Brenda Edwards announced the tragic news via a statement shared to her daytime talk show Loose Women. In the emotional message, Brenda noted that her son died after contracting a “sudden illness,” explaining:

Gordon Ramsay delighted fans after sharing a new picture of his mini-me son Oscar. The snap showed the two-year-old looking rather unimpressed as he ate some ice-cream.MORE: Gordon Ramsay's wife Tana marks incredible milestone - and Victoria Beckham reacts"Happy Sunday @oscarjramsay he's not too sure about the flavour," the celebrity chef remarked in the caption.WATCH: Gordon Ramsay teases lookalike son Oscar in adorable video - and he's unimpressedFans were quick to comment on the father and son's likeliness, with one joking: "Tell me your Gordon Ramsay's son without telling me you're Gordon Ramsay's son." Another responded: "Lol this was my exact thought when I saw this photo! Adorable."MORE: Gordon Ramsay's £6million Cornwall holiday home will take your breath awayREAD: Gordon Ramsay shares details about daughter Megan's ex-boyfriend - and he's not impressed!A third person stated: "Like father like son." A fourth post read: "Absolutely gorgeous little man." Another person said: "His facial expressions kill me [laughing face emoji]."The funny post comes shortly after Gordon's million-pound mansion had a narrow escape when a giant tree was uprooted during Storm Eunice.

mourning mom said in a Twitter statement. “Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the center of our world.”Brenda, 52, continued in her emotional post, “As we come to terms with his passing we ask for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss.

Jamal Edwards, an English music entrepreneur known for founding SBTV, a YouTube music channel dedicated to breaking emerging artists in the UK, died Sunday at the age of 31.

J. Kim Murphy Jamal Edwards, a major figure in the British music industry known for founding the music platform SBTV, which helped popularize grime and launch several major musicians, died Sunday. He was 31 years old.Edwards’ death was reported by the BBC on Sunday evening after the publication confirmed with Edwards’ company.

Neon’s standout romance about a young woman in Oslo churning though career choices and boyfriends passed $1 million this weekend on 265 screens, up from 49. With marketing in high gear and strong word of mouth, the Oscar Best International Feature nominee will continue to expand next week.

(CNN)Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are in good company.One Tuesday, the duo became the sixth married couple to be nominated in acting categories in the same year at the Oscars.Bardem was nominated for best actor for his role as Desi Arnaz in "Being the Ricardos," while Cruz snagged a nomination for her role as Janis in "Parallel Mothers."Past married nominees include Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt; Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner; Elsa Lanchester and Charles Laughton; Rex Harrison and Rachel Roberts and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.Other couples who were not married but also nominated for acting awards in the same year include Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier (who would later marry) and longtime partners Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston. This year Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons fall into that category.

Wow, have you looked at those official rules for the Oscar Fan Favorite sweepstakes? That’s the first-time-ever contest that lets you vote 20 times each day on Twitter (or else on the official Website) for your favorite movie of the year, and maybe become one of three lucky Grand Prize winners who get flown with a guest to Los Angeles (unless you already live in Pacoima) and possibly become a presenter at the 95th Academy Awards show in 2023?

A column chronicling events and conversations on the awards circuit.

As Oscar nominees circulate in theaters, exhibitors are studying where and when to play Best Picture contenders during the long run-up from nominations February 8 through the awards March 27, juggling holdovers and new releases. (See this weekend’s specialty box office offerings below).

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentWe are in the midst of Hollywood’s two big film events. One is the Oscar race, in which film artists salute great work.The other is the surrounding mini-industry that involves campaigners, contenders, agents, journalists and Oscar pundits.There is always confusion because the latter event is also called the Oscar race — but in fact, the two are very different species.Oscar Race #1 features major names (this year including Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg), newcomer/vets (Troy Kotsur, Ciaran Hinds) plus top-of-the-line artisans.

David Brenner, the Oscar-winning film editor who worked on a string of blockbusters as well as nine films for director Oliver Stone, died on Thursday. He was 59. The news was confirmed by Avatar producer Jon Landau, with whom Brenner had been working on the sequels.

GoFundMe page set up by “Avatar” producer Jon Landau, as well as in a social media post by Snyder. Amber Brenner did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. Brenner won his Oscar in 1990 (shared with Joe Hutshing) for working on Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July,” and he’s also credited on films such as “The Doors,” “Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “World Trade Center,” “Man of Steel,” “300: Rise of an Empire” and most recently “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” He was currently at work editing James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels.

occasional epic mistake happening live on TV. If you fall into that second camp, you have come to right place, because we’re about to break down everything from the Oscars premiere date, the trio of hosts, what changes you can expect at the ceremony, and just about everything else we know so far. Grab your nicest tux or designer gown, clear your schedules, and get ready for the 2022 Academy Awards…The Academy Awards ceremony typically takes place anywhere between late February and the final week of March, though there have been some exceptions to that rule, specifically the 93rd ceremony, which was held on April 25, 2021.

Global’s “Saturday Night Live” will return in March with Oscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz as hosts.

Sesame Street will see Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein pay a visit to Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and co.In a new clip shared to social media, Goldstein, who stars as retired footballer Roy Kent in Apple TV+’s hit football comedy, is seen hanging out in a trash can alongside Oscar the Grouch as Big Bird wanders by.“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Big Bird asks the pair, who proceed to shake their heads in disapproval.Sesame Street captioned the post: “Grouches gonna grouch on Sesame Street.

Oscar Isaac and Zoe Kravitz are taking over hosting duties!

Angelique Jackson NBA legend Bill Russell is getting the definitive documentary treatment from Netflix.The Boston Celtics great is the subject of a yet-to-be-titled documentary directed by Oscar nominee Sam Pollard (“MLK/FBI,” “Citizen Ashe”), with a team of producers including Larry Gordon (“Field of Dreams,” “Die Hard”), Ross Greenburg (“Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals,” “Miracle”) and Mike Richardson (“Hellboy,” “The Umbrella Academy”).Produced by High Five Productions, LLC, the film will feature personal interviews with Russell and make use of the sprawling personal archives from the life and career of the five-time NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist.The official synopsis explains that the documentary serves as the “definitive bio-doc” on “the greatest champion in the history of American sports,” tracing Russell’s history on the court and off, paying special reverence to his work as a Civil Rights pioneer. When President Barack Obama awarded Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, he described the Hall of Fame player as “someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men.” “From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two California State High School Championships, two back-to-back NCAA titles, a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and 11 championship titles in his 13-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black head coach in NBA history, while still playing for the Celtics),” the description reads.

Wilson Chapman editorOscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz will host “Saturday Night Live” this March, NBC announced Thursday. Isaac will host the upcoming March 5 episode of the NBC variety comedy series. The award winning actor, who had a busy 2021 with projects such as “The Card Counter,” “Dune” and “Scenes From a Marriage,” is set to star in the upcoming Disney Plus Marvel television series “Moon Knight,” which premieres March 30.

Clayton Davis The most shocking snub of the Oscar noms was Denis Villeneuve’s omission from the best directing category for his science-fiction epic “Dune.”The film’s 10-nomination haul includes best picture and adapted screenplay, the latter perceived to be its most difficult to attain. Yet, Villeneuve’s lack of recognition for directing could rally widespread support from Academy voters and result in the film tying or surpassing a 50-year record held by “Cabaret” (1972).Bob Fosse’s classic adaptation of the Broadway stage musical set a record at the 45th Academy Awards for the most Oscars received without winning best picture.