“Top Gun: Maverick” controversy
The 95th Annual Academy Awards are happening at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 12, 2023. What happened before and during the telecast that fired up social media? What were the big surprises? Join us as we revisit the most talked-about moments of the night…
“Top Gun: Maverick” was one of the most celebrated films of 2022 — hence its best picture nomination — but it’s not without its controversy. In the final days of Academy Awards voting eligibility, a letter circulated calling for the Tom Cruise film to be stripped of its six nominations. The reason? The movie was partially funded by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, reports claimed. The letter, penned by the Ukrainian World Congress, alleged that there are “serious concerns over Russia’s influence on the Hollywood film industry.”
The Russian billionaire is reportedly a silent investor in Los Angeles-based New Republic Pictures, which partnered with Paramount for “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Rybolovlev’s funding of Top Gun: Maverick was not publicly disclosed and there is good reason to believe that his involvement may have led to censorship on behalf of the Kremlin,” the letter said. “Contrary to the original film, Top Gun: Maverick makes no direct or indirect reference to Russia. This is hardly a coincidence. Hollywood must be vigilant and transparent of Russian money being used to further pro-Kremlin censorship.”
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Why the Oscars red carpet isn’t red this year
In a break with 62 years of tradition, the 2023 Oscars red carpet isn’t red. Instead, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences chose a champagne hue for the 50,000-square-foot rug that greeted guests outside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood — because organizers “wanted the rug to be mellow, like a beach at sunset,” The New York Times reported. Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel joked at the red carpet unveiling on March 9 that the change was prompted by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. “I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet rather than a red carpet shows just how confident we are that no blood will be shed,” the late night host quipped.
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Designer triumphs after flood damage
The gowns were saved after all! With just days to go before the Academy Awards, a pipe burst in designer Christian Siriano’s New York studio and a few dresses were soaked. After the water damage was discovered, the former “Project Runway” winner noted that only one room in his studio had power and he cheekily started a #SaveTheGowns hashtag on social media. Then on March 11, Christian revealed that all the dresses and ensembles he’d designed for stars (including Harvey Guillen, pictured) to wear on Oscar night had been salvaged and made it onto airplanes headed for Hollywood. “A flood won’t stop us,” Christian said on Instagram in a video showing him boarding a plane with the last dress to make the trip.
COVID strikes again
Hours before the 2023 Oscars began, eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close — who was scheduled to present the best picture prize with Harrison Ford, Deadline reported — pulled out of the telecast after testing positive for COVID. The news was confirmed by her rep, who told The Associated Press that Glenn was isolating and resting.
Drip… drip… drip…
Rain or shine! Oscars organizers kept their eyes on the clouds over the red carpet (which is a champagne color this year) over past few days. Amid unusually rainy weather in Los Angeles and Hollywood, puddles could be seen forming on the red drapes and curtains covering the red carpet just two days before the Academy Awards, according to WABC. In fact, the inclement weather forced the Academy to form a “drip control team” to handle puddles and leaks (see the water droplets coming down in the center of this pic?). “Members of the drip control team could be seen with giant poles poking the puddles forming on the red drapes acting as the roof for this year’s champagne carpet. The red drapes are beginning to leak as well,” WABC reported. The Oscars gods were with us on Sunday, though, as the sky was clear.
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