The honorary Oscar ceremony, held annually in Los Angeles, will have to be postponed due to the threat posed by the new Omicron variant to California, organizers announced on Wednesday.
Actors Samuel L. Jackson, Danny Glover and Norwegian Liv Ullmann, as well as artist Elaine May, were due to receive the prestigious Golden Statuettes for Lifetime Achievement next month at the Governors Awards, an event that attracts all the greats. Hollywood names.
“We have made the difficult decision to change our plans for the Governors Awards reception on January 15,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscar winners, said in a statement.
“Given the uncertainties surrounding the variants and the repercussions they could have on our community, we believe this is the best and safest decision for the laureates and our guests,” says the Academy, who did not set a new date at this stage.
Last year, the ceremony was canceled altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Oscar night itself was able to take place as planned in April.
In the wake of the announcement made by the Academy, the Association of American Film Critics announced the postponement of the Critics Choice Awards ceremony, prizes to be awarded in early January.
“We are working hard to find a new date […] which makes it possible to welcome everyone to our annual gala in safety, ”said the association.
The 2022 edition of the Oscars has not yet been called into question and is still scheduled for March 27.
The first events of the film awards season had taken place this year in the flesh, with screenings, galas and red carpets.
But several have been canceled or postponed in recent days due to the rise in contamination, such as the red carpet for the new Star Wars series, titled Bobba Fett’s book, or the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala.
The list is likely to grow in the coming weeks.
California had the lowest COVID-19 positivity rate in the United States on Wednesday, 3.3%, and continues “to lead the country in vaccine doses administered,” the governor said, Gavin Newsom.
But the state has “seen a dramatic increase in the number of COVID cases” in the past seven days, he warned, and recent data suggests the Omicron variant has become the majority.
The resurgence of the coronavirus did not prevent the success of the new Marvel film, however, Spiderman. No Way Home, which smashed revenue records.
The superhero film grossed $ 260 million in the United States and Canada for its first weekend of operation. Since the start of the pandemic, no film has managed to reach the symbolic mark of 100 million.