Next Year's Oscars Will Feature "Popular" Movies And Will Be Much Shorter

There are some big changes in store at the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed that as of next year, the length of the Academy Awards TV broadcast will be shorter, and a new "popular film" category will be introduced.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy's board of governors has approved the changes in the wake of falling viewing figures for the annual movie awards. Starting next year, the ceremony will now be shown in what the Academy describes as "a more globally accessible, three-hour telecast." The body stated that the smaller awards will be presented during the telecast's commercial breaks, with the winning moments aired later in the broadcast.

In addition, the next Oscars will include a new category for "outstanding achievement in popular film," with specific details to follow. As THR points out, the most successful movies at the box office each year are rarely represented in the main categories and usually have to make do with technical awards. This year's Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water, made a solid $63 million at the US box office, but this was in huge contrast to the immense success of movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Wonder Woman, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, none of which were featured in the main categories.

Finally, the date of 2020's Oscars has moved forward. Next year's 91st Awards will take place in its traditional late February slot, but in the following year, it will be held on Sunday, February 9. As THR notes, this is probably an attempt to make the Oscars seem more relevant, instead of taking place right at the end of the months-long awards circuit.

While the Academy did not directly address the falling viewers for the telecast, it did admit that changes were necessary. In a statement, it said: "We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world. The Board of Governors took this charge seriously."