For the first time in its 96-year history, the Oscars ceremony, arguably the world’s most important and well-known film event, may be canceled because of the wildfires that have brought the city of Los Angeles to its knees since Monday.
The fires, to date, have claimed the lives of at least 25 people, and the evacuation of more than 200,000 residents, who were forced to flee their homes, which were devoured by flames. The Academy, led by such icons as Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg, continues to monitor the situation, but what is certain is that at the moment it seems most inappropriate to hold a celebratory event of such magnitude while the city continues to reckon with the fires and the consequences they generate.
A source familiar with the Academy’s plans revealed to The Sun: “The board’s main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss. And certainly, even if the fires went out in the next week, the reality is that the city is still hurting and will be dealing with that pain for months.”
The situation in Los Angeles led to the adoption of a secret “emergency strategy” to cancel the March 3 Oscars ceremony should it ever be necessary–a measure first introduced at the beginning of the Millennium. The plan was adopted to deal with events “capable of changing people’s lives.”
“While the Californian dream is not yet dead, it is incrementally dying”, a source said to the Sun, “These wildfires have absolutely devastated the state, uniting everyone — from A-lister to waiter. And the very thought of having a waiter, a poorly paid innocent who has lost their home, serving delicate Wagyu burgers and sliced cucumber sandwiches to multi-millionaire movie stars doesn’t exactly sit right.”
The Oscar committees, composed of 17 separate sections, are aware that, in the worst case scenario, the fires could last for weeks, causing disastrous and catastrophic problems for Los Angeles and Hollywood, where the awards are handed out.
Some of the contingency plans went into effect following Covid, when Oscar night was postponed but not canceled altogether, an eventuality that could also occur in the coming weeks. The Academy, meanwhile, has not confirmed any rumors, but continues to deliberate on the best course of action to take.
