Oscars 2022 will acknowledge the war in Ukraine in a thoughtful manner while preserving the celebratory nature of the show, as per producers, who haven’t yet ruled out an appearance from President Volodymyr Zelensky, The Wrap reported. 

Producer Will Packer spoke at a press conference, saying, “We’re going to be very thoughtful about how we acknowledge where we are in the world. But the show is still in process, so that’s not something that we would definitively say one way or the other at this point”, and added, “We want to be fun and celebratory but we’re certainly going to do that in a respectful way and with an eye toward what’s going on in the world. So stay tuned”. 

Notably, Oscars co-host Amy Schumer shared that her idea of inviting Zelensky to the Oscars broadcast via satellite was rejected by producers. 

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Wanda Sykes, another co-host, also expressed doubts about Zelensky’s appearance, saying “isn’t he busy right now?”. However, she and co-host Regina Hall have shared that they love what’s been planned by producers. Sykes said, “They have something planned that we love, and it’s organic and thoughtful, and it’s the right place to cover”, and Hall added, “It’s a delicate situation and they have handled it so thoughtfully and I think the audience will enjoy it. We certainly love the idea”. 

Two-time Oscar winner, Sean Penn, who was filming a documentary in Ukraine when the Russian army invaded, has given an ultimatum to Oscars while speaking to CNN’s Jim Acosta. Penn, known for films like ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Milk’, said if Zelensky isn’t on the Oscars program then viewers should consider boycotting it. 

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Earlier, on March 25, The New York Post reported that Zelensky was having talks to appear at the award ceremony. However, there’s been no confirmation of this news yet.