Los Angeles (AFP)

The next Oscar ceremony has been postponed for two months due to the coronavirus pandemic and is now scheduled for April 25, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday.

The 93rd edition of the Oscars was originally scheduled to take place on February 28, but the health crisis caused cinemas to close and disrupted the schedule for Hollywood productions.

The Academy has therefore also extended the release period of films eligible for the Oscars, which goes from December 31, 2020 to February 28, 2021. It thus hopes "to give filmmakers the flexibility necessary to finish and release their films without being penalized", explain Academy officials in a statement.

The Academy had already recently relaxed its rules to exceptionally allow works released directly on video on demand platforms to compete.

Most American movie theaters remain closed, against the backdrop of fears of a resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic in many states.

No decision has yet been made on whether the Oscars will take place in front of its usual star bed or turn into a "virtual" awards ceremony.

"We are in unfamiliar territory this year and we will continue to work with our Academy partners to ensure that next year's show is safe," said Karey Burke, president of ABC who is broadcasting this flagship evening. from Hollywood.

The report announced Monday responds to the concerns of many cinema professionals who believe that the films released in 2020 would be too few to allow a solid selection.

The Oscars have already been postponed in the past, as in 1938 after the Los Angeles floods, after the assassination of Marthin Luther King in 1968 and the assassination attempt against President Reagan in 1981. But the ceremony never had been delayed more than a week.

The inauguration of the Oscar museum, which is nearing completion in Los Angeles, has also been postponed by the Academy. The site, which was to be presented to the public on December 14, will finally open on April 30, 2021, in the wake of the 93rd edition of the Oscars.

© 2020 AFP