The venerable Oscar show has degenerated more and more into a tired event in recent years: after an all too honest edition in 2018 With host Jimmy Kimmel, who wanted to do everything right and did everything wrong, a debate about the cast of the host even ignited the following year – Kevin Hart was finally not allowed to perform and there was no host for the first time in 2019, which made the show seem even more disoriented let. The same was true for them Edition 2020, which was an absolute lowlight not only in terms of audience numbers. The self-deprecating self-celebration of earlier years had given way to a deadly serious and narrow-minded event that seemed to be more about its own political agenda than about dealing with film art. In addition, the last shows were all badly scripted, staged, produced and in the best case triggered eye rolls and boredom, in the worst case frustration and disappointment.
The Academy now seems to be showing itself – late but nevertheless – to be understanding: This is the only way to explain that Hollywood star director Steven Soderbergh was hired for the show in April 2021, alongside Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins, who are also successful producers. “New approaches and concepts” are needed, the Academy chairmen said about the commitment of the top-class trio, which sounds like a cautious admission of guilt.
Soderbergh has been one of Hollywood’s most prominent directors for years, “Traffic”, “Erin Brockovich” or the “Ocean’s” trilogy were his greatest successes. Collins has produced several other shows, including the Grammys. And Sher was a producer on films like „Pulp Fiction“ or “Django Unchained”.
The three were enthusiastic about the task assigned to them in a broadcast. However, it is not known how they feel about the restrictions on the content and cast of nominated films planned by the Academy in the coming years. After all, some of their great successes should not have been nominated according to the new guidelines. (ck)
