‘We can do a great show’: this year’s Oscars producers on plans, rumors and ‘the slap’

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner oversaw the Moonlight/La La Land snafu and last year’s drama – can the 2023 ceremony run without a hiccup? “I really hope that’s not the most important problem in the world,” says Oscars co-producer Ricky Kirshner. He’s talking about the prospect of another slap, having been behind the scenes for last year’s calamitous ceremony. But while it might not be a genuine concern, it also has factored into the planning for this year’s telecast, taking place this Sunday. “Well, there have been teams of people the Academy put together,” says his producing cohort Glenn Weiss, alluding to a crisis group the organization coalesced to react to any number of wild moments, slap-related, streaking or otherwise. “But for us, it’s sort of like producing a presidential inauguration. We’re responsible for putting things on stage, the Secret Service is responsible for a whole different part of it.” Continue reading...