Movies & TV / News
Academy Considering Postponement of 2021 Academy Awards
It is conceivable that we won’t see the Academy Awards as usual when February hits next year. According to Variety, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering postponing the yearly awards show that honors the best in film, citing multiple sources that caution that nothing has been decided and plans are “far from being concrete” at this point.
The potential delay, obviously, is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The news comes after the Academy announced that they were changing the rules for Oscar eligibility to allow for films released digitally to qualify if the studio had originally planned a theatrical release. The normal Oscar eligibity rules require films to have a seven-day theatrical release in Los Angeles County, but with some films being moved to digital releases due to the shutdown the Academy decided to make the change. The rule changes also allow qualifying theatrical runs to take place in New York, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta and the Bay Area if Los Angeles is not an option.
The Academy declined to comment on the story and it isn’t clear if any potential delay would mean that the Academy will allow films released after the end of the year to qualify for the 2021 ceremony.