Pictured: Debbie Allen, who has choreographed the Academy Awards 10 times.
The dust has settled and we know who’ll be producing and hosting the 84th Academy Awards.
We already reported that prolific producer Brian Grazer and Billy Crystal are replacing Producer Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy for this year’s telecast – and now reactions are trickling in from in-the-know insiders.
Debbie Allen, who has choreographed the Oscars 10 times, knows full well the challenges facing the show every year.
“It’s always high drama,” Allen acknowledges. “People that are in the press have to be very careful with their own sensibility of how you express it. I don’t know why what was said, was said and I think that Eddie (Murphy) out of camaraderie joined in with [Ratner].
Ratner, you’ll remember, stepped down from his duties after making a homophobic comment – and Murphy resigned the following day, having just finished working with Ratner on the movie Tower Heist.
Sure, the change up was a tiny bit late in the game in terms of planning the program, but Allen is convinced the new team will pull off a spectacular show.
“Brian Grazer has done some of the greatest movies that I’ve ever gone to see (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind). I think it’s right to go back to what you know works. Sometimes it’s not always [important] just [to present something] new, it’s [also about doing] what works. Billy Crystal got a standing ovation last year when he just showed up and Whoopi Goldberg…I’m telling you she’d be ready tonight if she had to go on. She’s amazing. They were always the best hosts…both of them.”
As for taking another whack at choreographing the Awards again herself, well, Allen isn’t ready to commit just yet…but it sounds like she could be persuaded.
“Maybe one more time. We’ll see. We’ll see.”
The 84th Academy Awards broadcasts live from the Kodak Theater, February 26th on ABC.