ABC’s Oscars telecast has already lined up a new venue and a trio of new producers. One constant in this year’s pandemic-altered event, however, will be the director.
Five-time Academy Awards telecast director Glenn Weiss — yes, the guy who proposed to his girlfriend during his 2018 Emmy acceptance speech — will be back for a sixth time. And while his return could signal a business-as-usual approach to the event, producers insist it’s quite the opposite.
“Our plan is that this year’s telecast will look like a movie not a television show, and Glenn has embraced this approach and come up with ideas of his own on how to achieve this,” said Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh in a joint statement on Friday. “We’re thrilled to have him as part of the brain trust.”
News of Weiss’ return comes a few days after the 2021 Oscar nominations and news that big show would take place at both its historic venue (Hollywood’s Dolby Theater) and an iconic piece of Los Angeles architecture, downtown railway hub Union Station. The Academy previously suggested the ceremony may include other remote locations as well.
The trio of Collins, Sher and Soderbergh are attempting a particularly difficult feat. Not only will this year’s Oscars take place with limited talent attendance, the kudos are coming off a year where the pandemic prevented a vast majority of Americans from going to the movies. An even bigger obstacle may also be the dismal ratings trajectory for COVID-era awards shows. The Emmys, The Golden Globes and The Grammys all recently suffered historic lows.
In addition to his Oscar work, which has won him two Emmys, Weiss has directed 19 telecasts and three Emmy telecasts and dozens of other live events.
The Oscars will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live, coast to coast, on ABC.
