The Academy has expanded its horizons in choosing a producing team to manage the 88th annual Oscar telecast. After three years of relying on Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to produce, the organization has turned to former Fox executive David Hill and producer/director Reginald Hudlin to run the show.
Hill won an Emmy as the executive producer of the 2011 World Series and most recently served as the executive producer on the last two seasons of American Idol. Prior to that, he worked for 25 years in various executive roles at Fox. Hudlin, who received an Oscar nomination for producing Django Unchained, is a director of such films such as the Eddie Murphy-starrer Boomerang and the comedy House Party, which he also wrote. Hudlin also produced the Academy’s 6th Governors Awards ceremony last year. Prior to that, he was the first president of entertainment for BET Networks.
“With their enthusiasm and breadth of experience, David and Reggie will bring a fresh perspective to the Oscar show,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.
In addition to managing the night’s festivities, the Oscar producers are charged with hiring a host for the evening and determining the look and feel of the telecast. They also determine the order of the show and how the awards will be presented.
“I love every kind of film and this year’s awards will be a celebration of the total range of cinema,” said Hudlin in a statement.
Added Hill, “The quest is to honor the year in film, honor the art, and above all, make it fun.”
The Oscar telecast will air on Feb. 28, 2016.
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