The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly considering hosting the 93rd Academy Awards at a historic railway station in Los Angeles next month to ensure socially-distanced stars can go mask-free.
According to Deadline, sources claim that the cavernous Union Station, which is the main railway station in Los Angeles, is an option for the awards ceremony; however, nothing is set in stone.
The sources also said that the station, which has been used for the LA Film Festival and SiriusXM’s ‘Dial-Up the Moment’ campaign, is favored by ABC and Academy organizers.
The national historic landmark was built in 1939 and its main terminal is 161,000 square feet. During normal times, when COVID restrictions haven’t crimped travel, more than 100,000 people a day walk through its halls.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly considering hosting the 93rd Academy Awards at the historic Union Station (pictured) in Los Angeles next month to ensure socially-distanced stars can go mask-free
Sources claim that the cavernous Union Station (pictured), which is the main railway station in Los Angeles, is an option for the awards ceremony; however, nothing is set in stone
The sources also said that the station (pictured) is favored by ABC and Academy organizers
The Academy hopes to have a crowd and nominees, which means they cannot stage the event as usual in the Dolby Theatre due to COVID-19 restrictions. A little girl is seen walking up the steps inside Union Station
The Academy hopes to have a crowd and nominees, which means they cannot stage the event as usual in the Dolby Theatre due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Dolby seats around 3,300 people.
But in the spacious station, which is believed to be large enough to accommodate social distancing requirements with its soaring main hall featuring windows that are 40-feet high, stars may not have to wear masks while enjoying the ceremony, according to Deadline.
Nominations for the Oscars will be revealed on Monday and the live ceremony will take place on April 25.
It’s still unclear what the format of the show will look like and whether there will be a host.
If organizers decide to use the Union Station, they will be taking a much different approach than the Golden Globes, which had nominees and winners appearing in remote feeds.
The ‘Zoom’ Golden Globes weren’t popular with audiences, as its television audience dropped by more than 60 percent vs. last year’s figures, according to Nielsen data.
The large station as host could avoid the need for a remote-style arrangement.
The station, which was designed by John and Donald Parkinson, who also designed LA’s City Hall, was built for what would be more than $1.2 billion in today’s dollars, according to Union Station’s website.
In January, the Academy postponed the Oscars until April due to the pandemic’s effects on the movie industry.
The year marks the fourth time in history that the Oscars (pictured: Greta Gerwig embraces Saoirse Ronan on the red carpet during the Oscars in 2020) has been postponed
But in the spacious station (pictured), which is believed to be large enough to accommodate social distancing requirements, stars may not have to wear masks while enjoying the ceremony, according to Deadline
Nominations for the Oscars will be revealed on Monday and the live ceremony will take place on April 25. It’s still unclear what the format of the show will look like and whether there will be a host. People are seen voting at a polling site in Union Station in November 2020
If organizers decide to use the Union Station (pictured), they will be taking a much different approach than the Golden Globes, which had nominees and winners appearing in remote feeds
The Union Station has hosted the Los Angeles Film Festival (audience pictured in 2015)
The Union Station also hosted the SiriusXM’s ‘Dial-Up the Moment’ campaign in 2019 when John Legend performed
The Academy’s Board of Governors also extended the eligibility window beyond the calendar year to February 28, 2021, for feature films, and delay the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures from December until April 30, 2021.
‘Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control,’ said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in a joint statement at the time.
The film academy has been grappling with how to handle the pandemic’s near shutdown of the theatrical exhibition and film production and festival business since mid-March 2020.
With theaters shuttered, release dates pushed and major festivals like Cannes canceled, the academy in April made the unprecedented decision to allow films that did not have a theatrical run to be eligible for the awards — but only for one year.
Other entertainment industry awards shows are also in flux. The 74th Tony Awards, originally set for June 7, has been postponed indefinitely.
But the 72nd Emmy Awards is still holding onto September 20. The BAFTAs said its annual film awards would take place on April 11.