Oscars producer addresses ceremony chaos after Al Pacino read out Best Picture winner without naming nominees
While the 2024 Oscars went mostly without any surprises, Al Pacino's nomination announcement left many scratching their heads.
The veteran actor closed the show by dishing out the award for the most anticipated category - Best Picture.
Some of the films in the running included Oppenheimer, Barbie, Past Lives, Poor Things and American Fiction.
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Now, many people thought Christopher Nolan's film focused on J. Robert Oppenheimer had a strong chance of winning - so it was really no surprise when Pacino announced it as the winner.
But instead of reading out the rest of the nominees, he just went straight to opening the winning letter and said ‘my eyes see Oppenheimer’ - which is weird in itself, let’s be honest.
People on social media were quick to express their bemusement at his actions - leading some to come up with their own theories behind the decision.
The Scarface star has since issued a response to clear up the confusion, as reported by Variety: "There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the Best Picture award.
"I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony.
“I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful.
"I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement."
But he wasn't the only one to comment on the situation, as Oscars producer Molly McNearney has said that there was a method to the madness.
Speaking to Variety she said: “It was a creative decision. [We were] very worried that the show was going to be long.
“By the time you get to the end of the show, you’ve seen all 10 best picture clip packages People just want to hear who wins, and they’re pretty ready for the show to be over. At least that’s what we anticipated.
“So, we did not give him a clip package. We did not give him nominations to read.
"I apologize if our decision to not have to read through all those nominations put him in a tough spot.”
Here are some of this year's Oscar winners:
Best director
Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorsese
Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan - WINNER
Poor Things - Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest - Jonathan Glazer
Best actor
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Colman Domingo - Rustin
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer - WINNER
Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction
Best actress
Annette Bening - Nyad
Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan - Maestro
Emma Stone - Poor Things - WINNER
Best picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer - WINNER
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
America Ferrera - Barbie
Jodie Foster - Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers - WINNER
Topics: Film and TV, Oscars, Celebrity
Gerrard Kaonga