This coming Sunday evening in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre, the loudest name from Hollywood’s more recent history will not be Cillian or Emma, but Ken.
There will be exactly 65 people accompanying Ryan Gosling on stage as he sings “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie movie. These individuals have appeared in the Oscars’ pastel pink promotional videos and will also be joining fourth-time host Jimmy Kimmel.
Although Barbie is not likely to surpass Billie Eilish for the award for best original song and another for best costume design (while Gosling may be a contender for best supporting male), Greta Gerwig’s film has been put in the spotlight at an awards ceremony that is making an effort to regain connection with its audience.
The organizers of the Oscars, Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan, and Molly McNearney, have promised to create a grand event this year and, to be honest, the ceremony could benefit from some of Barbie’s star power.
The viewership for the Academy Awards has not been impressive in recent years. In 2020, only 18.7 million people watched the show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, making it the third lowest-rated show of the decade. The previous two years had even lower viewership numbers, with 15.4 million viewers in 2022 and a low of 10.4 million in 2021.
Due to this development, the Academy and ABC, who holds the rights to the Oscars in America, have had to alter their strategy in order to revive the ceremony. This event previously drew in an audience of over 50 million at its height.
The producers have taken some practical steps to solve the issue – they moved the start time up by an hour in an attempt to appeal to primetime viewers. However, they are mainly counting on Barbie’s popularity to attract a wide audience for the revamped evening.
Some may argue that the decrease in success and viewership can be attributed to a decline in public interest towards films that have been supported and promoted by the Oscars.
The unexpected winner of the Best Picture award in 2020, Parasite, earned a total of $262 million in global box office sales. In contrast, Nomadland, the 2021 Best Picture winner, brought in slightly less with just under $40 million. Everything Everywhere All at Once, the previous year’s Best Picture winner, only earned $143 million, which is significantly less than the $1.5 billion brought in by Barbie and the nearly $1 billion earned by Oppenheimer’s global box office sales.
Display image in full screen mode.
Barbieheimer, a cultural phenomenon, offers a valuable opportunity for producers trying to revive Hollywood’s most prestigious event. This allows for an appreciation of both the popular and more sophisticated aspects of film, that have been witnessed by millions of viewers.
Nolan’s highly-anticipated film, Oppenheimer, is expected to sweep the awards season. Meanwhile, Barbie offers a more relatable appeal to a younger demographic. Gosling’s acting may also create the ultimate goal for producers: viral moments that transcend the broadcast and have a significant impact on popular culture, gaining valuable social media exposure.
According to the producers, this year’s approach will steer away from the elaborate and star-studded comedic skits with Kimmel and a group of guests. Kapoor promised that they can only set the stage and rely on things to occur organically. It’s unlikely that we will see a repeat of last year’s forced banter between Kimmel and the donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin.
Starry celebrity hosts such as Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer, Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya have been confirmed to announce the winners in their place. Additionally, Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino will also be making appearances, sparking speculation of a possible Scarface reunion.
Will the Israel-Gaza war be acknowledged at the awards? In the past, Hollywood has not addressed global events on its main night, but with widespread protests and relevant film topics, this may be challenging on Sunday.
There have been protests such as the ones which disturbed the Independent Spirit awards and there could be more on Sunday that could force a conversation that few in Hollywood seem to want to have. “It’s too fraught,” one studio executive told the New York Times after the Independent Spirit protest. “People are worried about their careers.”
James Wilson, producer of The Zone of Interest, has attracted notice for bringing attention to the conflict this award season and for receiving a Bafta. If Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama receives further recognition, will Wilson deliver a similar speech and will others follow suit?
Source: theguardian.com
