Entertainment  Desk:

Amid the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, baseless rumours have surfaced suggesting the possible cancellation of the 97th Academy Awards, scheduled for Sunday, March 2, in Hollywood. The claims, lacking any credible foundation, have sparked unnecessary speculation.

British tabloid The Sun published a report on Tuesday evening, later amplified by the Drudge Report, which quickly gained traction online. Labelled as an “exclusive,” the story was headlined: “OSCARS THREAT: 2025 Ceremony in Jeopardy as Officials Reportedly Plan Drastic Changes Due to LA Wildfires”. The report falsely claimed that a “secret contingency plan” was in place to cancel the March 3 event—mistakenly mentioning the wrong date—and alleged that official committees, involving prominent Hollywood figures such as Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, and Steven Spielberg, were monitoring the situation daily.

Senior officials at the Academy, as well as sources close to the A-list celebrities mentioned, have confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that no plans to cancel the Oscars are being considered, and no such advisory committee exists.

The Academy’s 55-member board of governors is the sole body involved in these decisions, and none of the individuals named by The Sun are part of it. On Monday, the board reiterated that the Oscars, set to take place in 47 days, will proceed as scheduled.

The board, which includes four members who have lost their homes in the wildfires, has, however, implemented certain changes. These include extending the nomination voting period, delaying the announcement of nominations, canceling the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, and postponing the Scientific and Technical Awards.

Any changes to the Oscars ceremony would require extensive discussions between the Academy and its long-standing broadcasting partner, ABC. However, the current consensus among the Academy’s leadership is that the event should proceed as planned, with an emphasis on maintaining dignity while raising funds for and acknowledging fire relief efforts.

The Oscars ceremony, which typically employs around 1,000 locals, has never been “cancelled.” Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only slightly postponed and held in a scaled-down format. As of now, there are no plans to cancel the March 2 event.