The Oscars will be postponed until April 2021

The Oscars has been postponed from February to April 2021

You’ll have to wait a little bit longer to see if Netflix can finally win Best Picture. The Academy has moved the Oscars from February to April, 2021, and has extended the deadline for eligibility, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.

The move probably didn’t surprise many given the situation with the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters around the world are closed, and many movie premieres have been delayed.

In addition to moving back the date of the show, the deadline for eligibility has been extended to February 2021.

What will this event look like in 2021? It is really anyone’s guess. Perhaps it will be virtual, or nominees only, or even business as usual?

I doubt that it will be that last choice, but we can hope the pandemic is over by then. An event of this magnitude takes a lot of preparation and organization, so the delay can only help coordinators figure out the best way to proceed.

Below is the tweet that The Academy posted with information regarding the change.

THR has learned that the event will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood and will air live on ABC. It is good to see that they still plan on televising the live event instead of doing a pre-recorded version or something like that.

The report also mentioned that the postponement of this year’s event will be the fourth time The Academy has delayed the event in history. In 1938, The Oscars were postponed because of flooding in Los Angeles. In 1968, The Oscars were postponed out of respect for Martin Luther King  Jr., who was assassinated only four days ahead of the awards show.

In 1981, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan caused the show to be postponed. Reagan was an actor who became president and was scheduled to open that show, according to the report.

With the extension of the eligibility date, this will allow some of the projects that have been stuck in post-production to be completed and be considered for an Oscar. This is excellent news for not only the films that had to shut down production but also the films whose release dates are up in the air due to all of the shut-downs.

It is an encouragement to see that the Oscars haven’t been canceled. As the saying goes, “The show must go on,” and it comforting to see that coordinators are willing to explore alternative ideas to make the Oscars carry on during these uncertain times.

We will keep you informed of any other news regarding the Oscars and the other awards events in the coming months.