Quickly moving on after the Brett Ratner debacle, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this afternoon that Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer would step in to co-produce the 84th Academy Awards alongside previously announced Don Mischer.
In a statement, AMPAS president Tom Sherak noted, “Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work. He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars®.”
Mischer added,”I am thrilled to welcome Brian Grazer as my partner and that we will be collaborating to produce an outstanding show”
Keeping the positive vibes going, Grazer said, “It”s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career. Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him.”
“I too am delighted that Brian will join Don in producing the Academy Awards and I am looking forward to our producers delivering the movie event of the year,” commented Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.
Grazer is a four-time Academy Award nominee. He was nominated for best picture as a producer of “Apollo 13,” “Frost/Nixon” and “A Beautiful Mind.,” for which he won his only Oscar to date. He also was nominated in the best original screenplay category for “Splash” in 1985. A partner alongside Ron Howard in Imagine Entertainment, Grazer’s long list of film credits include “8 Mile,” “Ransom,” “Liar Liar,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Inside Man,” “The Da VInci Code,” “American Gangster” and “Robin Hood.” His upcoming releases include “J. Edgar” and “Rush.” Grazer also has a long list of TV credits including backing “24,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development,” “Felicity,” “Sports Night” and “Wonderland.”
It’s worth noting that Grazer produced Ratner’s last feature, “Tower Heist,” which opened to disappointing critical and box office returns this past weekend.
More intriguing, Grazer has teamed up numerous times with now seemingly departed Oscar host Eddie Murphy on “Life,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Bowfinger” and, of course, “Tower Heist.” Whether he can convince Murphy to come back to the fold remains to be seen, but with less than four months until the big show, the first time producer will likely set his sights on a more experienced host such as Billy Crystal, Steve Martin or Jon Stewart to emcee Hollywood’s biggest night.
As for the Academy, they are no doubt hoping talk regarding this whole drama dies down after the Governor’s Awards Saturday night.
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