Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Bowen Yang, and more will present during the Oscars ceremony on March 2, the Academy announced on Tuesday. The exciting lineup also includes Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, and June Squibb, with Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Emma Stone already confirmed, and more names yet to be revealed. Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Academy Awards, marking his first time in this role. The show will air on ABC and stream live on Hulu.
Many presenters in this esteemed group have previously won Oscars themselves, including Berry, Cruz, Goldberg, Downey, Murphy, Randolph, and Stone, who claimed victories in each acting category at last year’s ceremony. Additionally, Johansson, Lithgow, and Squibb have been nominated in the past, while Yang assisted in presenting this year’s Oscar nominees in January. Emilia Pérez leads this year’s nominations with 13, though her film has been marred by scandal concerning past social media posts from star Karla Sofía Gascón. Similarly, The Brutalist is facing controversy regarding AI, and Wicked is tied for second place with 10 nominations.
All three films are vying for Best Picture alongside Anora, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, and The Substance. Netflix heads the studios with a total of 16 nominations. On Monday, the Academy also finalized the list of producers for films nominated in the Picture, Best Animated Feature, and Best Documentary Feature categories, bringing the total number of individuals nominated for awards at the 97th Oscars to 220. The ceremony kicks off at 4 p.m. PT, continuing the earlier start time introduced last year, with the official red carpet festivities beginning half an hour prior to the awards.