Will Smith's slap attack on Chris Rock is still talk of the Oscars 12 months on
Unprecedented flash floods and torrential rain has made it one of the wettest months on record in Los Angeles.
But while Sunday’s forecast for the ceremony looks mercifully clear, there are other storm clouds assembling on the horizon.
Walking the streets by the Dolby Theatre where the ceremony takes place, the incident known as “The Slap” is still the gossip of the day.
“Hell, I’d have slapped Chris Rock too if he’d insulted my wife,” laughs Jason Gooch, 45, in the LA LA Land gift shop, in Downtown Hollywood, near the red carpet.
Yes, even 12 months on, Will Smith’s manhandling of Chris Rock after the comic joked about wife Jada’s alopecia still looms large in everyone’s memory.
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Not least for the Academy A “crisis-team” is ready to be deployed should something unthinkable happen.
“It is our hope that we will be prepared for anything,” Academy chief executive Bill Kramer says. “Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars.”
Bosses have been deliberating over how, and indeed if, they should reference last year in the broadcast tomorrow night.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at last year's Oscars (AFP via Getty Images)They will look to Jimmy Kimmel, who is back as host for the third time, to provide the answer. “He’s funny, he’s respectful, his edges aren’t too sharp,” said Kramer about Kimmel’s appeal.
As one Hollywood producer told me of the Academy’s pick of the host: “Put it this way, don’t expect jokes about people’s wives.”
Despite Will – and the weather – overshadowing the build-up, insiders are hoping the attention turns back to what is turning out to be one of the most closely fought Best Picture categories in years.
The indie sci-fi hit Everything Everywhere All at Once starring Michelle Yeoh appears to have all the momentum.
Jimmy Kimmel will host the awards ceremony (AFP via Getty Images)Movie geeks have calculated it’s the most-awarded film with 158 accolades to date – a record previously held by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. But other films are snapping at its heels.
Elvis, the bookies favourite until recently, is thought to be a favourite with Academy voters, not least as it straddles the line between being a mainstream hit but arthouse flair. And, of course, any victory could provide the most emotional moment of the night given Lisa-Marie Presley’s death.
However, anything is possible in this town and nowhere is this perhaps more obvious than when I take a stroll on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
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Here film companies take over billboards to promote their Best Picture prospects. In this neck of town, there is only one winner: All Quiet on the Western Front, which has three billboards.
Michelle Yeoh is up for Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All At Once (AFP via Getty Images)It’s little surprise Netflix are pushing the boat out when it comes to promotion after its incredible haul at the BAFTAs which included Best Film.
But will a German-speaking film really win over Academy voters? Its Scot producer Lesley Paterson says she is quietly confident .“It’s a very European-centric film but the BAFTAs has given us a bit of a bump,” she says, adding the anti-war message given events in Ukraine could “resonate”.
In other battles, Michelle Yeoh may have a slight edge on Tar’s Cate Blanchett for best actress, while best actor seems a toss-up between Austin Butler as Elvis and Brendan Fraser for the The Whale.
Of course, the Oscars is not all about the silver screen. In La La Land, celebrity madness often prevails, none more so than with the goodie bag worth £106,000.
Elvis, starring Austin Butler, is thought to be a favourite with Academy voters (Warner Bros)Given to every nominee, it includes liposuction, a three-night stay for eight people on a volcanic Italian island and a plot of Australian land.
Still, you can rely on things going awry.
Tom Bryant prepares himself for a night of glitz and glamour at the Oscars (David Buchan)Spare a thought for Banshees of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan. He may be up for best supporting actor but he his clobber will be a challenge after British Airways lost his suitcase.
“Here in LA for Oscars and had tons of sentimental stuff I wanted to wear and bring with me,” he said in a now deleted tweet. “Such bad customer service... Tut tut.”
Let’s hope the goodie bag makes up for it…
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