The 2022 Academy Awards are starting to come into focus. Nearly six months ahead of ABC’s annual telecast, the academy has tapped Will Packer to produce the show.
“The power, the beauty, the romance of the imagery in movies has always attracted me,” said Packer. “I’m fully embracing the challenge of bringing an ode to one of the most iconic mediums in the world to life. What an honor!”
Mirroring the move of the previous Oscars telecast, which counted filmmaker Steven Soderbergh among its production team, Packer comes to the show without any prior Oscars experience — and without any notable track record in live telecasts. The head of Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media is best known for his films (Girls Trip, Straight Outta Compton, Ride Along) and scripted TV series (Being Mary Jane, Uncle Buck, Roots).
“Will is a powerhouse producer who has enjoyed success across all movie genres,” said Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, in a joint statement. He’s already bringing a boundless energy and a focus on innovation to this year’s Oscars to entertain the widest spectrum of fans. Many wonderful surprises ahead!” said Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.
The 2021 Oscars were a break from tradition in many ways, in large part to accommodate pandemic precautions — but also to play with format. Awards show ratings have struggled considerably in recent years, as viewers drift away from linear TV viewing, and evolution is now considered something of a mandate. Produced by Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and live TV vet Jesse Collins, the 2021 Oscars largely abandoned Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre for downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station. There was no host, and, in a bizarre turn of events, the night concluded with a win for absentee actor Anthony Hopkins. It pulled an audience of 10.4 million viewers.
Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media chief of staff Shayla Cowan will serve as co-producer of the 2022 telecast. Other collaborators, including a director and potential host, have yet to be locked in.
“There is no one better than Will Packer to celebrate our collective love for cinema,” added ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals president Craig Erwich. “Will is a world-class hitmaker and the ideal producer to capture the prestige of the Oscars and deliver a powerful and moving event.”
The Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 27, 2022 — again at the Dolby Theatre.
Source: Hollywood
