We have some bad news, folks. The Oscars 2021 will be postponed due to coronavirus. Variety reported on Tuesday, May 19, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a.k.a. the organization that runs the Oscars, is considering cancelling or delaying next year’s ceremony because of the current worldwide pandemic.
While the 93rd annual Oscars are set for February 28, 2021 at ABC, several sources told Variety that the awards show will likely not happen. “It’s likely they’ll be postponed,” one source told the magazine. The sources also note that no new date has been set, though other plans have been discussed. Another source told Variety that the Oscars 2021 postponement is not set in stone, and that ABC still currently has February 28 on its calendars.
The news of a possible postponement comes after the Academy president David Rubin hinted to Variety in April that the Oscars 2021 will likely look different due to the current state of the world. “It’s impossible to know what the landscape will be,” he said at the time. “We know we want to celebrate film but we do not know exactly what form it will take.”
The Oscars have also announced a change to their rules for next year’s ceremony (if it happens.) Usually, the awards show only allows films that are shown in theaters, but eligibility has been amended for next year’s release to permit movies that have also been released digitally. “I think everyone is sympathetic to the filmmakers’ plight and we’re here to support our members and the film community,” Rubin said. “It makes sense when we don’t really know what’s to come in terms of the availability of theatrical exhibition…We need to make allowances for this year only and during this time when theaters are not open so great film work can be seen and celebrated.”