Will Packer is still a month away from making his Oscar-producing debut, but his tenure has already attracted plenty of controversy.
The show will omit eight categories from the live broadcast, opting instead to tape them awards earlier and edit them into the live show.The decision immediately prompted outrage from cinephiles and Hollywood insiders who see it as a snub of the artisans who make movies possible.
Packer, the prolific producer behind blockbusters including “Girls Trip” and “Ride Along,” has a different view.
In a new interview with Variety, he says decisions that prioritize viewership will be good for the Academy’s long-term health.“One of the things I wanted to do early on was to make a decision to treat this as an entertainment property,” Packer said.
“You have to make a decision: is it something we’re going to say is for Hollywood by Hollywood, and that’s good enough?
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