What do an Oscar de la Renta gown and the Antelope Valley train line have in common? They’ll both be cruising through LA’s Union Station on April 25.
Producers of the 93rd Academy Awards say this year’s event will be held at two locations: the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and downtown’s main transit hub.
“The main ceremony, in the same way that the Grammys was outdoors and intimate just a few weeks ago, will be at Union Station. And then the performance elements will be at the Dolby, so they have the lighting and sound equipment that they need to do that at a high production value,” says Scott Feinberg, awards columnist for The Hollywood Reporter.
The plan could cause a headache for commuters as well as those experiencing homelessness nearby, a stark backdrop to Hollywood’s decadence.
“Wherever you do the Oscars, there's generally a pretty big footprint that disrupts the area,” says Feinberg. “But because it is relatively small this year compared to other years, I think they can probably get in and out a lot quicker than they normally do.”
Only Oscar nominees, their guests, and the presenters will be allowed to attend in-person, and there will be no virtual attendees. As a member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Hollywood Reporter, Feinberg says even he’s not currently invited. “They're not planning to have media present at the moment,” he says, but hopes that will change as the date draws closer.
Feinberg predicts Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” will win Best Picture and Best Director, and Chadwick Boseman will posthumously win Best Actor for “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.” For the rest of the categories, he says “There’s still a lot to unfold.”