First Look at THR’s Oscars Issue: Dramatic Reunions, Sandra Bullock’s $70M Payday, Brutally Honest Ballot and Much More

These stories first appeared in the March 7 Oscar issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

THR’s biggest Oscar issue ever is filled with characters. Below, get to know the real-life descendants of 12 Years a Slave‘s protagonist Solomon Northup, go inside the Chicago company that makes the Oscar and read one Academy member’s brutally honest ballot.

Additionallly, THR will feature a slew of additional Oscar-related stories, galleries and exclusive photos and videos leading up to Sunday’s ceremony.

Keep checking THR.com, and follow us on Twitter @THR, on Facebook or Instagram, for the latest.

 

 

 

 

The Descendants of Solomon Northup

THR brought together five generations from the family tree of 12 Years a Slave’s Solomon Northup in three different cities. Watch as director Steve McQueen surprises one group and listen to the relatives discuss the lasting impact of their famous ancestor. Click the photo for the full story, and find exclusive portraits of the family here.

McQueen surprised the L.A. relatives at their Hollywood shoot. “When he first walked in, I thought, ‘Is that another uncle?’” says Johnal Dumas, 17. Says the director of meeting Northup’s descendants: “It was just so wonderful. It really humbled me.”

Who Will Win Sunday?

THR awards analyst Scott Feinberg THR‘s Oscars Ballot.

Making the Oscar

Everyone knows the Oscar is coveted in Hollywood, but the untold story behind making the statuette is as intriguing as the work it honors. Click the photo for the fascinating, manic process behind how the statuettes are made. Plus: five things you didn’t know about the making of the “the Man.”

The statuettes are removed from the molds and allowed to cool, then deburred by hand and given a polish.

The Battle for the Soul of the Academy Museum

As the $300 million shrine to the Oscars and all of film history readies to break ground at the end of this year, insiders and experts reveal the challenge of how to walk the line between serious scholarship and tourist-friendly appeal. Click the photo for all the details, and see photos of plans for the museum here.

A rendering shows the spherical, 1,000-seat premiere theater named after $25 million donor David Geffen that will feature a rooftop terrace with views from Hollywood to the Pacific Ocean.