I’m not going to lie. I completely forgot the Oscars were even a thing. Movies were practically not a thing this year. But the Academy made sure the awards would be all it should be with an announcement this week.
The 2021 Oscars will not be held virtually, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told Variety Tuesday, and will instead be a traditional in-person ceremony.
“The Oscars in-person telecast will happen,” a rep for the Academy and ABC, which airs the show, said.
The awards show was postponed and moved to April 25, 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic — mostly in the hopes that theaters would reopen so more films would be eligible. Instead, it amended rules, making streaming-only films eligible for the first time ever. But that later date — moved from Feb. 28, 2021 — could come in handy as COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in recent weeks and the world continues to await vaccines.
Now, the academy will have to suss out details for the live show while maintaining safety protocols, including how many guests will be allowed inside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., where the show is typically held.
“The academy has done a walkthrough of the Dolby recently to see all the multiple options,” the rep told Variety of the 3,400-seat venue.