The Academy of Motion Picture and Arts announced its schedule for the 2022 Oscars, landing on nominations being announced on Tuesday, February 8th, and the Oscars being handed out at a ceremony on Sunday, March 27th, with the event returning to its traditional Hollywood home at the Dolby Theatre.
By setting the date for the end of March, the Academy was forced to adapt to a packed schedule of entertainment events, including the Super Bowl coming to Los Angeles on February 13th, to be played at the city’s brand new $5 billion SoFi Stadium and next year’s Winter Olympics broadcast from Beijing taking place from February 4-20.
To be eligible for next year’s Oscars, films must have a qualifying 2021 release date during the 10 months between March 1 and December 31. However, in recognition of the constraints that the pandemic has imposed on movies released during the first part of this window, feature films will still be able to qualify for next year’s Oscars without the requirement to have a qualifying theatrical run, making more films eligible from studios that have opted for streaming debuts during 2021.
Whereas the modified and delayed 2021 Oscars were a poignant reminder of the hobbled state of theatrical releasing during the pandemic, next year’s ceremony is shaping up to be a return to normal times, hopefully with improved ratings.