What To Expect From The 2017 Academy Awards Telecast: Matt Damon, Sara Bareilles, Politics - Page 2 of 2

Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty are presenting Best Picture*
The asterisk is because that’s what Faye Dunaway thinks, at least. During an interview on the SAG Awards red carpet, she let slip that she and her “Bonnie And Clyde” co-star would announce the show’s final award to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1967 classic. Of course, there’s always the question of whether Beatty will really do it and, second, if the producers might have changed their mind after she spoke publicly about it or whether they were meant to do something else (like present one of the nominees) and she was confused. But if it happens, you can thank E! for interviewing her in the first place and letting it slip. Updated: The Academy announced both Dunaway and Beatty will be presenters on the telecast.

Yep, you better believe it will be political
Todd and De Luca are sticking to a 45-second limit on acceptance speeches, but admit the last thing they want to do is play someone off the stage. That likely won’t scare any winners from taking a few moments to make a statement about what’s currently going on in the country and more specifically, Washington. Not only were there political statements at the Globes and SAG Awards, but the Grammys turned it into iconic art. Moreover, AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs practically gave them the green light with her memorable speech at the Oscars luncheon. Trump says he’s not going to watch (yeah, right), but we’re gonna guess he’ll get the highlights in his Twitter feed. He’s been quiet on “SNL” recently. Can he hold his tongue or, er, fingertips over Oscar?

READ MORE: The 2017 Oscar Nominations By The Numbers

Where are the comedy presenters?
Granted, there are likely a number of surprise presenters on tap, but out of the 15 revealed so far (including last year’s four acting winners), there isn’t one legitimate comedy star among them. Even when the telecast has sucked, the producers have been smart enough to recruit a Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jack Black or Kevin Hart, among others, to write their own bit as presenters, and often it’s been one of the most memorable moments of the show. This year, the closest we’ve got is Dwayne Johnson and Leslie Mann. One glimmer of hope: Kate McKinnon filmed a very funny and well-received piece instructing nominees how to give their acceptance speeches that was shown at the annual Oscar luncheon. Perhaps she makes a quick trip to LA as a surprise presenter? Update: Seth Rogen has been added as a presenter. He’s officially your comedy alternative to Jimmy Kimmel.

Your In Memoriam singer is…Sara Bareilles
I mean, fine? The producers are very happy with song choice, though. That’s something, I guess.

If “The Salesman” wins, who will accept?
There is an excellent chance that Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman” will win the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Unfortunately, Farhadi decided not to travel to the United States because of the Trump administration’s Muslim ban (he’s protesting it). Instead, he’ll be in London where the film will be screened in Trafalgar Square immediately before the broadcast. Traditionally, if a nominee doesn’t attend, the Academy accepts the award on their behalf.  The filmmakers are trying to ascertain if someone else could accept for Farhadi in his absence, but at publication time they had not gotten a definitive answer from the Academy.

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