For the fourth time in history, the Oscars have been postponed due to the novel coronavirus. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that the 93rd Academy Awards telecast has been postponed by two months, from February 28, 2021, to April 25, 2021.
In a statement, Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said: “For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control. This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”
The Governors Awards gala, which typically takes place in the fall, has also been postponed. Date TBD. The December opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was pushed to April, and will happen in tandem with the Oscars.
The eligibility rules have also been loosened to accommodate disrupted productions. Now, the submission deadline for specialty categories (animated feature film, documentary feature, documentary short subject, international feature film, animated short film and live action short film) is Dec. 1, 2020. The submission deadline for general entry categories, including best picture, original score and original song, is now Jan. 15, 2021, Variety reports.
The format of the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, set to air on ABC, is also in flux.
“We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year’s show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement.
The Oscars have been delayed previously in 1938 after massive flooding in Los Angeles, in 1968, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and again in 1981 following an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
In 2020, major winners included Parasite for Best Picture, Joaquin Phoenix for Best Actor in Joker and Renee Zellweger for Best Actress in Judy.