It remains to be seen if James Bond is going to land his first-ever Best Picture nomination after the critical and financial success of Skyfall, but if there was ever a moment it’s now. Regardless, the spy icon that has graced screens for half a century now will be a part of the ceremony as the producers have decided a semicentennial celebration is in order.
Though nominations are announced next week (and we’ll have them up on CHUD at 8:30am sharp next Thursday), the ceremony is still a two months off on February 24th at the renamed Dolby Theatre (poor Kodak). I think there’s a strong chance we’ll see a Skyfall nomination come Thursday, but we’ll break that down next week when it does or does not go down.
85TH OSCARS® TO FEATURE SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF JAMES BOND
The 85th Academy Awards® will include a tribute to the James Bond movie franchise which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the telecast’s producers announced today.
“We are very happy to include a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “Starting with ‘Dr. No’ back in 1962, the 007 movies have become the longest-running motion picture franchise in history and a beloved global phenomenon.”
The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m., PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
About Craig Zadan and Neil Meron
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series and Broadway productions. Their feature films include “The Bucket List,” ”Footloose,” “Hairspray” and “Chicago” — which won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For television they’ve produced the films “Steel Magnolias,” ”Life with Judy Garland” and “A Raisin in the Sun,” among many others, and the series “Smash” and “Drop Dead Diva.” They recently returned to their roots in live theater by producing Broadway revivals of the Tony-winning ”Promises, Promises” and the Tony-winning 50th Anniversary revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
The ceremony usually features some kind of special tribute of this kind- you may recall the horror film tribute in 2010, for example.