Oscars 2021: Disney to reportedly promote award show through special episodes of American Idol, The Simpsons

The biggest night in showbiz, the Oscar Awards 2021, is around the corner and cinema lovers are on their toes for the grand day. The much-awaited 93rd Academy Awards will be aired on Sunday (25 April, 2021) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. The ceremony will be screened in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases across the world, the Oscars 2021 producers - Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Steven Soderbergh have revealed the new plans for the ceremony. They have also explained the safety procedures that would be maintained throughout.

According to Variety, Disney will kick start the synergy machine into high gear in order to support the telecast. To promote Oscars 2021, they plan to go ahead with the live telecast of American Idol. During the show, all the top 12 contestants will perform Oscar-nominated songs, while judge Lionel Richie will do the honours by opening the episode by singing ‘Say You, Say Me’. The song had earned him a best original song Oscar in 1986.

The reputed FXM, which is owned by FX Networks, will screen a ‘Week of Oscars’ line-up of Oscar-nominated and winning films. It will be aired between 19-25 April. FX will also run a three-day movie marathon next weekend featuring nominated and winning films of all time. Even FXX, owned by the Walt Disney Television unit of The Walt Disney Company, will use The Simpsons for its Oscars tribute.

They are launching a two-day marathon on 24 April; it will be split into three parts:
- spoofs of nominated
- winning films and guest voices of nominated
- winning actors and actresses and spoofs of red carpet show

The Simpsons marathon will end with the show’s animated short ‘he Longest Daycare which was earlier nominated for an Academy Award in 2013. Also, on 24 and 25 April, Disney and Pixar will air other films which include Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo, Up, Mary Poppins, Coco, Toy Story 3, and Monsters Inc.

Talking about the safety protocols, Soderbergh told Deadline that wearing a mask throughout the ceremony will be important. "Masks will play a very important role in the story of the evening. That topic is very central to the evening," he added.