Names and faces
■ Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are set to host the 94th Academy Awards, producer Will Packer said Tuesday. “This year's show is all about uniting movie lovers,” Packer said in a statement. “It's apropos that we've lined up three of the most dynamic, hilarious women with very different comedic styles.” The show is hoping to rebound from the dismal viewership of last year's broadcast, which was both an all-time low and the norm for pandemic-era awards shows. The Academy is also hoping to spike interest through social media voting for a “fan favorite” movie that will be announced during the show, as well as a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for the ceremony. “We're invigorated by Will's vision for this year's Oscars: celebrating movie lovers alongside moviemakers and spotlighting fan favorites that prove how cinema can unite us all,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in a statement. It's the first time hosting for all three women and the first time in 35 years since there has been this many hosts for one broadcast. Craig Erwich, president, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, added that they are “Thrilled to have them at the helm to deliver an incredible show full of unforgettable moments and laughter.” The 94th Oscars will be held March 27 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and broadcast live on ABC.
■ Alec Baldwin and the movie producers of “Rust” face a wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday by the family of a cinematographer fatally shot on the set. Lawyers for the family of Halyna Hutchins announced the lawsuit filed in New Mexico in the name of Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son, Andros, at a Los Angeles news conference. The “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” of Baldwin and the film's producers “led to the death of Halyna Hutchins,” attorney Brian Panish said. Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, was pointing a gun at Hutchins when it went off during the setup for the filming of a scene on Oct. 21, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza. The actor has said he was pointing the gun at Hutchins at her instruction and it went off without him pulling the trigger. This is the first lawsuit directly tied to one of the two people shot. A video created by the attorneys showed an animated re-creation of the shooting. The attorneys said in the video that Baldwin had turned down training for the kind of gun draw he was doing when he shot Hutchins. The suit said industry standards call for using a rubber or similar prop gun during the setup that was happening, and there was no call for a real gun. Baldwin's attorney responded that any claim the actor was reckless is "entirely false."