The 97th Academy Awards is Sunday, where the best movies from the past year will be honored and celebrated.
Comedian Conan O’Brien will host the ceremony for the first time. At the 97th Oscars Creative Team press conference, O’Brien said he reached out to Billy Crystal after he found out he was to host the show this year.
O’Brien called Crystal “the all-time great and master of hosting the Oscars,” saying the actor “defined it” and “will always be the top, in my opinion.”
Additionally, O’Brien said former Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, reached out to give him some advice.
“They could not be lovelier to me. They are supportive and helpful. So that’s nice. Because I came up in a different era of late night. Not everybody was chummy and friendly,” O’Brien said. “The new era of people are lovely to each other. It is something I don’t take for granted.”
As for what people can expect, executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor says he loves the “element of surprise.”
“There is still more to come. There are people that are not going to be announced. You need to keep a sharp lookout for cameos that happen throughout,” Kapoor said.
That being said, fans can expect a musical performance tribute to Quincy Jones, who was the recipient of an Honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards this year.
“We planned and curated a beautiful moment that will uplift the room and celebrate his greatness. We are happy to say Queen Latifah is part of that performance. You need to tune in Sunday to see what we have in store. It is a beautiful moment and will make everybody feel good,” Kapoor said.
Additionally, the ceremony will feature a tribute to the iconic songs from the James Bond franchise in honor of producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who also received Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards.
The 2025 Oscars will air live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time ever. A special edition of 20/20, Countdown to the Oscars with Robin Roberts, premieres Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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