A rep from the Academy and ABC reportedly said that there will be no virtual Oscars.
The 93rd Academy Awards might continue in its original format. A rep from the Academy and ABC reportedly told Variety on Tuesday that there will be no "virtual" Oscars.
"The Oscars in-person telecast will happen,” the rep said, according to the trade publication. ET has reached out for additional comment.
However, sources for The Hollywood Reporter say the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nor ABC have made any such decision regarding the ceremony. In the end, sources for THR say everything will come down to health and safety considerations and plans remain very fluid.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the annual awards ceremony was moved from February to April 25, 2021. Sources told Variety that by pushing the awards two months later, they hoped that theaters would reopen by the spring and allow for more films to compete for the Oscar.
According to Variety, organizers are focusing on making sure that the ceremony remains live and are still working on details, including how many people are allowed inside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where the event takes place, and safety protocols.
After the March lockdowns across the United States, movie theaters around the world closed their doors -- with studios repeatedly pushing release dates and film festivals scrapping plans or moving online -- prompting awards ceremonies to postpone their respective telecasts and adjust eligibility rules to account for continued uncertainty.
The Academy extended the eligibility timeline from Dec. 31 to Feb. 28, 2021. It also allowed films that premiered on streaming platforms and drive-in to quality for submission.
Other major film awards shows affected by the pandemic are still figuring out their game plans, including the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the British Academy Film Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. See a full guide to how they have changed their previous schedule, here.
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