The most exciting moment at February’s Academy Awards was also the most embarrassing situation for everyone involved. (No, it wasn’t a sound editor’s pants to reveal a saucy undergarment. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN!) Moonlight‘s historic (and well-deserved) Best Picture win was sidetracked by an incorrectly announced result, loads of confusion and the realization that Barry Jenkins would continue to be asked loads of questions about La La Land even though Oscar season had already ended. Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were quickly defended and the Oscar’s go-to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers was pegged as the culprit. Despite the headaches caused, the Academy Awards would like to give PwG another chance.
Deadline reports that the long-time Oscar accounting firm will be doing the honors again for 2018’s ceremony. There will be some changes, mind you. The two accountants blamed for the mistake have been taken off the accountant like renegade cops off an assignment and the Oscar balloting vet Rick Rosas will be returning to the fold. (Note to Hollywood: Do not make a movie about this.)
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs noted that “new protocols” will be instituted going forward. Auditor Brian Cullinan was promptly roasted on Twitter after being photographed while distracted with his phone after the big snafu and now electronic devices are banned by the firm in their backstage endeavours. A third accountant will also be embedded in the control room as another way to maintain outcome integrity. Please keep all of this in mind when xXx: Return of Xander Cage beats Power Rangers at next year’s Oscars.
(Via Deadline)
