LOS ANGELES:
The Oscars are aiming to be more like a movie than a television show and enlisting A-list stars like Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon to help hand out statuettes.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Don Cheadle, Renee Zellweger, Regina King, Joaquin Phoenix, Rita Moreno, Laura Dern, Zendaya, Angela Bassett, Bryan Cranston, Marlee Matlin and last year’s best director winner Bong Joon Ho, the show’s producers said Monday.
“In keeping with our awardsshow-as-a-movie approach, we’ve assembled a truly stellar cast of stars,” said producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh in a statement. “There’s so much wattage here, sunglasses may be required.”
After delaying two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Oscars are forging ahead with an in-person show at Los Angeles’ Union Station. It’ll be a scaled back affair, with only presenters, nominees and their guest in attendance, but the producers are working to make it a must-see event amid critically low ratings for other awards shows during the pandemic. More talent will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 93rd Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC on April 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern. (AP)
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LOS ANGELES: Luke Bryan says he’s tested positive for COVID-19, which sidelined him from the season’s first live “American Idol” episode on ABC.
Paula Abdul, an original judge on the talent show when it aired on Fox, was announced as Bryan’s replacement for Monday’s show, joining Lionel Richie and Katy Perry on the panel.
“I’m sad to say I won’t be a part of tonight’s first live @AmericanIdol show,” Bryan tweeted earlier Monday. “I tested positive for COVID but I’m doing well and look forward to being back at it soon.”
A post on the “American Idol” Twitter account said that Bryan was in quarantine and resting at home, adding, “we’re wishing him a speedy recovery.”
He was scheduled to be a remote part of Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS, but that pre-taped appearance has also been scuttled.
“American Idol,” in the process of winnowing its field of 16 performers down to the top 12, is following “strict, rigorous, COVID guidelines” on the production, with frequent testing for the virus, ABC and producer Fremantle said. (AP)
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NEW YORK: Fox Corp. is standing behind Tucker Carlson after the Anti-Defamation League last week called for the company to fire the opinion host for his on-air