Grazer to produce Oscars (DH, VAR, LAT, WSJ, TW, THR)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Moore

The Oscar scandal that's been hemorrhaging over the past few days was stanched a bit on Wednesday when respected producer Brian Grazer answered the Academy's request to step in and fill the void left by recently-resigned telecast producer Brett Ratner. As Nikki Finke writes: "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences owes Brian big-time for stepping into the breach."

DH:

For Grazer to take on the Oscars demonstrates a dedication to the movie community that the Academy won't soon forget. Grazer's name frequently comes up for the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award, the most coveted Oscar honor for anyone in Hollywood, and the producer almost received it for the 76th annual Oscars. So maybe sooner rather than later it should be Grazer's turn for the Thalberg.

"Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work," said Academy president Tom Sherak. "He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars."

"It's very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career," said Grazer. "(Co-producer) Don (Mischer) is a legend, and I am excited to work with him."

The Grazer news came just a few hours after it was announced that Eddie Murphy had withdrawn as host in the wake of Ratner's exit.

While Grazer's first task will be to name a host, Deadline reports that the idea Eddie Murphy might have reconsidered a return to the fold is a non-starter. "We are not going back to him. No way," a source told Mike Fleming.

Variety also notes that sources say Murphy essentially quit alongside Ratner, and that both sides have moved on.

Variety further points out that although the recent turmoil gives the perception of disarray in the Academy ranks, the Oscars planning process is roughly two weeks ahead of schedule, according to insiders.

But, a person with intimate knowledge of how production schedules and Oscar shows work told Deadline's Pete Hammond yesterday, "It's a sh*t show right now. They are incredibly behind."

All the hullabaloo could ultimately be a boon for the telecast, some opine. The Academy has been looking for ways to shake up the Oscars and may have gotten its wish - albeit in a rather unorthodox manner.

In an article that looks at the state of the Oscar contenders this year, The Los Angeles Times' Nicole Sperling points out that a wide open Best Picture race - that could include the biggest names in the biz alongside a black-and-white silent French movie and an NC-17 rated pic about sex addiction - leads to the question: Now who thinks the Oscars are boring?

Here, Steve Pond chimes in with a story he says he was planning to write even before the Ratner disaster about "how this feels like the end of an era at the Academy Awards."

On the potential hosting front, apart from a campaign to have Miss Piggy and Kermit do the honors, several names are being bandied about. The LAT runs down a list of folks the Acad could go to in its hour of need including Steve Carell, Neil Patrick Harris and, of course, Billy Crystal.

Murphy's exit, meanwhile, caught some off guard, The Wall Street Journal reports. "I never thought Eddie would drop out," Harvey Weinstein told the paper. "The Oscar committee hiring Brett in the first place was an attempt to find a new audience and that's commendable. The Oscars need to broaden their base."

The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at what Murphy's defection will mean to his career, here.

**This article was compiled using reports from Deadline, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. The original stories can be accessed by clicking the hyperlinks in the text above.