West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler wasn’t the only star who had issues getting to the Dolby on Sunday. She’s just the only one who went public with the fight.
Three insiders confirmed that cast members from best picture nominee Belfast and eventual winner CODA also had difficulty landing seats for the Oscars ceremony. “It was a mess,” said a source, one caused in large part by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. By redrawing the Dolby’s seating arrangement to maximize social distancing, the Academy cut approximately 800 seats. As it has every year, the Academy doled out tickets to studios and streamers, and left it to those entities to distribute them to relevant parties like producers, executives, filmmakers and talent — and to make tough decisions.
Some suggested the Academy should have opened up presenter slots, while others say the studios should have prioritized talent. “People had to fight for seats up until just a few days ago,” said an insider. “Would [the Academy] have made Leonardo DiCaprio or Jennifer Lawrence beg for tickets? Meanwhile, Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater and Shaun White all got to present and automatically bring plus-ones. It’s so backwards.”
Source: HollyWood
