Oscars: Hollywood puts the finishing touches

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is getting the finishing touches to welcome the stars who are about to shine on Sunday afternoon when the 96th Academy Awards take place and the winners of the ‘Oppenheimer’-dominated awards season are announced.

Installation of cameras, lighting and work decor which take place inside a tent set up on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles (USA) take place amidst the fury of fans, curious tourists and local passers-by eager for chaos.

“It’s interesting to see all the work that has been done to turn a piece of the avenue into a literal television set. There is nothing more Hollywood than that,” Mirelle Ortega, a resident of the area, told EFE.

Ortega is used to commotion neighborhood and knows the details of life in a place so touristy that, in addition to the Oscars, it also receives red carpets for the premieres of series and movies throughout the year.

“Luckily I work from home, but if I had to go to work I feel like it would be a lot more irritating,” he noted.

Puerto Rican tourist Frances Rivera is in complete awe of the exterior preparations of the Dolby Theater where the awards will be held.

“I came to visit with my daughter and we agreed on this. It was a surprise and impressive because you always see it on television, but to see it in person is something else,” said the native Puerto Rican.

Other urban celebrities who visit the Walk of Fame this time of year show their passion for the Oscars and walk around dressed in extravagant outfits, like the enthusiastic Vivianna Robinson, who over 17 years built an entire outfit with special motifs. gala like pieces of old carpets or embroidered golden statuettes.

“I’m a walking Oscar museum,” Robinson commented to EFE.

Back in red, free of strikes and surprises at the gala dinner

This year, the awards organization listened to the requests of fans and brought back the charm of the golden age of Hollywood with the traditional red color of the carpet.

“No one thought they changed the color of the carpet,” said Gregg Donovan, another fan of the awards show.

The producers of the event were broadcast by television channels ABC, Raj Kapoor, Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan, In an interview with EFE, they announced that one of the main challenges of this year’s ceremony is dealing with the strike that paralyzed actors and screenwriters in 2023.

“We started the first meetings in June and felt liberated when the strike ended because we were able to get to work on time. I think the fact that everyone is back doing what they love adds an extra element of celebration,” McNearney said.

For Mullan, one of the highlights of the evening will be the musical performances led by artists such as Ryan Gosling or Becky G, but he has a special preference for Osage musicians who are part of the crew of the movie ‘Killers of the Flower’ Moon’, Martin Scorsese.

“It’s something that’s never been seen on the Oscars stage. We’re working very hard with their team to create it in an authentic way that shows a different side of their culture that they haven’t seen before,” commented the producer.

At the gala dinner, which is hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time, there will be a hard-fought battle between films praised by critics and audiences like ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘The Poor Man’.

“We are very confident that the viewership will increase. We can only hope that people will watch the Oscars as they have been huge successes at the box office,” Kapoor said.

To bolster the numbers, headliners include artists such as Ariana Grande or Bad Bunny, which could help the event’s viewership grow to 19.9 million in 2023.

Finally, post-awards preparations are also going well, such as those being carried out for the popular Governors Ball party, where the evening’s winners will go to have their statuette engraved and toast their triumphs.

This celebration will have 120 chefs who will prepare gastronomic delights under the leadership of chef Wolfgang Puck, which are as diverse as pizza, macaroni and cheese or paella and Iberian ham.

The 96th Academy Awards will take place on the night of March 10 at the Dolby Theater starting at 4:00 PM local time (00:00 GMT Monday).