The 2020 Oscars ceremony takes place on Sunday in Los Angeles, the climax of Hollywood’s awards season.
Here’s what to watch for on the red carpet and during the three-hour show to be broadcast live on ABC television.
RED CARPET
“Pose” star Billy Porter has dominated red carpets in the past year with headline grabbing, gender fluid outfits ranging from a black velvet tuxedo gown to a remote-controlled hat and a golden pharaoh outfit. Porter has said he’s planning another surprise for Sunday.
BRAD PITT
Supporting actor frontrunner Brad Pitt is riding high, winning multiple awards for his role as a charming stunt man in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” delivering witty speeches, and setting hearts aflutter with a backstage encounter with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston that went viral last month. Will he bring a date to the Oscars? Pitt says no. Neither Aniston nor Pitt’s second ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, have been announced as attending Sunday’s show.
NO HOST
For the second year in a row, the ceremony will not have a host. In 2019, rock band Queen got proceedings off to a rousing start with a live performance to mark the success of movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” but this year organizers aren’t saying how they will grab the attention of audiences settling in at home. Elton John, Billie Eilish and Idina Menzel are among musicians scheduled to perform on the Oscars stage.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Scarlett Johansson is nominated in both the lead actress (“Marriage Story”) and supporting actress (“Jojo Rabbit”) fields. Should she win both, she will make history as the first actor to win two Oscars for different roles on the same night. South Korean director Bong Joon Ho’s drama “Parasite” is competing for both best picture and best international feature. No film in a foreign language has ever won best picture at the Academy Awards.
COLORS OF THE RAINBOW
Just one person of color – “Harriet” star Cynthia Erivo – got an acting nomination this year but the line-up of presenters is strikingly diverse. “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Rami Malek, “Star Wars” actress Kelly Marie Tran, director Spike Lee, Salma Hayek, Mahershala Ali, Mindy Kaling, Lin-Manuel Miranda and rising star Utkarsh Ambudkar will all take the Oscar stage.
REUTERS