The 94th Academy Awards, which will take place amid the devastation in Ukraine, are most likely to include an expression of solidarity for the war-torn country.
Actor Wanda Sykes, one of the Oscars 2022 hosts, has said that the ceremony will address Ukraine in a “thoughtful” way, news agency AFP reported.
Her co-host, Amy Schumer, called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to virtually speak at the Oscars, which will take place on the morning of March 28 (according to Indian time).
Will Packer, the producer of the Oscars ceremony, has not ruled out Zelensky’s appearance.
"The show is still in process, so that's not something we would definitively say one way or the other at this point,” he had said at a press briefing earlier this week, according to Sky News.
Academy-award winning actor Sean Penn has said he will destroy his award if Zelensky is not invited to speak at the Oscars, CNN reported. Penn was in Ukraine at the time of Russian invasion to shoot a documentary on the crisis.
Many A-list stars have previously spoken about important causes at the Oscars, the recent examples being Leonardo DiCaprio's climate warning and Joaquin Phoenix's speech about animal rights.
Ukraine has been reeling under Russian attacks for more than a month. Russia's war on the country has led to thousands of deaths, including of children, and forced more than 37 lakh people to abandon their homes and seek refuge in other countries.
While the world condemns Vladimir Putin for violence, Zelensky is being praised for courageously leading his country in wartime.
Many globally-known celebrities are among those who have spoken out in support of Ukraine and criticised Russian aggression.
Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher had started a ‘Go Fund Me’ page to raise money for Ukraine. They managed to collect more than $35 million, drawing praise from Zelensky himself.
(With inputs from AFP)
