COVID is still disrupting the Oscar season. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science canceled all in-person events and screenings for the remainder of 2021. However, the Academy Museum in Los Angeles is still scheduled to open on Sept. 30, with the museum operating at 50% capacity during business hours and with masks required indoors.
According to a letter to Academy members obtained by TheWrap, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said the group was looking to resume in-person global membership meetings in the spring of 2022 if possible.
Oscars voters will still be able to screen movies through the virtual Academy Screening Room — which opened this week with the first For Your Consideration contenders: “Annette,” “Coming 2 America,” “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” and “The Tomorrow War.”
The note also added that the Academy hopes to reopen Academy offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London on a hybrid schedule this fall, but will remain flexible as things change.
“We so hope to see you at the museum and are looking forward to getting back to in-person Academy gatherings soon,” Hudson said.
There was no word about plans for the Governors Awards ceremony, which is currently scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (Samuel L. Jackson, Elaine May and Liv Ullmann will receive honorary Oscars, while the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award will go to Danny Glover.)
The 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony is currently scheduled to take place on March 27, 2022.
The scaling back of in-person Academy events is the latest sign of anxiety about the recent surge in COVID infections and hospitalizations in the U.S. and worldwide.