The Oscars are happening on Sunday, finally. With five days to go, updates are happening one on top of another. The biggest one being that Karla Sofía Gascón will be there, with the support of Netflix. If for whatever reason you need a refresher about the Karla chaos, please go back and read Sarah’s coverage.
Up until yesterday, it was assumed that Karla would not be attending the Oscars. She wasn’t at the SAGs or Critics Choice or the BAFTAs because Netflix decided not to finance her attendance. Not just because of the offensive social media posts that were uncovered but also because she went rogue and set up media opportunities without involving them to try and save her own ass, like that shambolic interview with CNN en Español, which only made it worse. Karla couldn’t have funded her own trip(s) and so it was thought that without Netflix’s money, her presence wouldn’t be an issue.
Yesterday though it was confirmed that Netflix has now agreed to bankroll Karla at the Oscars. And she released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter which, I’m sure, was vetted by Netflix:
“I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m grateful to be back,” Gascón tells THR exclusively on Monday. “I’m grateful to all those who’ve believed in me — to Netflix, the production company and my colleagues. We can close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago.”
Presumably, then, Netflix has secured agreement from Karla that she will let them handle the media strategy around her return. Hopefully Netflix has secured approval from the other Emilia Pérez team members, like Zoë Saldaña and Selena Gomez, in that they feel comfortable that, just as Karla’s chaos was dying down a bit, she’s back in the headlines and will be a heatscore on that night.
But the timing of this is also strategic, one day after the SAG Awards so as not to pull focus and also almost a week after Oscar voting closed. In terms of the awards, what’s done is done now, Karla’s presence won’t change anything – it won’t jeopardise Zoë’s seemingly assured win or whatever chances the film has in its various categories, including Best Picture. Remember, Emilia leads the way with 13 nominations and while it is no longer considered in the running for Best Picture, it still has a shot at Best International Film, the category it was supposed to have locked in before Karla’s mess.
We still don’t yet know if Karla will walk the carpet and participate in the press line, where she’ll be seated and with whom, and just how quiet or noisy here Oscar attendance will be. Definitely a storyline to pay attention to on Sunday.
Other updates…
Speaking of quiet, is it just me or has Conan O’Brien been rather quiet? Conan, of course, is hosting the show for the first time. And it’s what so many of us are most looking forward to – how he’ll set the tone, whether or not his energy is suited to this event, how he’ll address the many delicate issues that the Academy is facing this year, from Karla to the fires etc etc etc.
A few days ago, the Academy started releasing promos featuring Conan, including this one:
@oscars See if Conan O’Brien and Oscar will get their Hollywood ending, only at the Oscars, LIVE Sunday, March 2 at 7e/4p on ABC and Hulu. #Oscar #AcademyAwards #Oscars2025 #ConanOBrien #Movies #Film
♬ original sound - The Oscars
And also a behind-the-scenes package from his promo shoot. Interestingly enough, though, the video that they just posted doesn’t involve Conan at all but rather Amelia Dimoldenberg which… GOOD FOR HER! She is getting the very, very best access this entire award season and what I love about her path to success is that, well, it was a PATH, a Show Your Work journey. Chicken Shop Date started out as a written column when Amelia was a teenager. It became a YouTube series in 2014. So she’s been at this for over a decade, she’s been producing and editing and writing – in other words… growing… as a storyteller.
To the point where she’s now showing up on the Oscar Academy’s YouTube page – so, basically, being paid by the Oscars – to eat chicken with Jesse Eisenberg without really changing the spirit of her brand. Sure, the ice cubes are Oscar shaped now but the vibe is still her vibe. Flirting is still happening. Weird tangents are taken. And Jesse is actually perfect for this. I loved every minute.
Amelia will no doubt be on the carpet on Sunday. And I wonder, now, if she’ll have a moment with Conan? Very smart for the Academy to get her involved.
Three more updates and they’re all performance related:
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will open the show, and it’s supposed to be a Wicked medley. This shouldn’t be surprising. You want to kick if off with all those vocals, the “Defying Gravity” of it all. And they’re both nominees so this makes all the sense. This also means that they will arrive on the carpet early since they’ll have to head inside before everyone else to prepare.
LISA, Doja Cat, and RAYE, on the other hand…
I’m not saying I don’t f-ck with all three of these artists, of course I do. And it’s amazing that LISA will be the first K-pop artist to perform at the Oscars. I’m just curious about the song. “Born Again” is a banger, but there’s no connection here to any films. Is this what they’ll be performing? Oscar purists are probably big mad about this already, LOL. I can’t wait to see how they pull this off.
And finally, Queen Latifah. Nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2003 for Chicago and a f-cking legend. Nobody should be complaining about this. But there are definitely some hurt feelings over the fact that the nominated songs in the Best Song category will not be performed the way they have been in previous years. So the production is taking some risks to update the show and appeal to as wide of an audience as possible. Let’s debate this while we’re watching together during our live chat on Oscar night on Sunday at The Squawk!
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