Hollywood insider reveals brilliant way he’d revive boring Oscars…and it would enrage thin-skinned movie stars

An esteemed Hollywood insider said the Oscars could be revived by counting down which nominees received the most votes for each award.

Matthew Belloni, a journalist at Puck, told Status News that counting down nominees from tenth to first and revealing how many votes each received would liven up proceedings.

But it would likely infuriate actors, many of whom are notoriously competitive and thin-skinned.

‘To give the night more stakes, count down the best picture nominees from 10 to 1 throughout the show,’ Belloni said.

He suggested ‘an “American Idol”-style “final 3” at the end of the night and a big, suspenseful reveal of the winner. 

‘And release the actual vote count for each movie so viewers can see how close it was,’ he added – offering another change that could freshen things up.’

Releasing those figures would expose which nominees were most and least popular among the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members, who choose the Oscars winners. 

Oscars ratings slumped from a high of 60 million in 1998 – the year Titanic swept the  board with 11 wins – to as low as 10 million in recent years. 

Viewers have complained the awards are too long, too preachy and seem biased towards serious niche movies over blockbusters seen by millions. 

Belloni offered up a host of other ideas to revive the ceremony, which is regularly panned despite being rammed full of the world’s biggest and most beautiful stars clad in stunning designer couture. 

Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham Carter pictured at the 1998 Oscars, which attracted a record 60 million viewers as Titanic swept the board. A key Hollywood player has unveiled a host of dramatic proposals he thinks would revive today’s drab proceedings 

One of the few entertaining moments at Sunday’s Oscars was when Demi Moore didn’t win best actress for The Substance, despite being widely-tipped to clinch the award

Matthew Belloni, a journalist at Puck, says Oscars bosses should count down the 10 most voted for nominees in each category – and let viewers know how many votes each nominee scored  

He suggested getting rid of half the ceremony’s 23 awards categories from the TV show,  with few viewers interested in seeing who wins best live action short, best documentary short, best sound or visual effects. 

Instead, he’d ‘use that time to celebrate movies in general,’ he explained – before rattling off an array of options. 

Belloni suggested debuting exclusive footage from upcoming summer blockbusters that would make film fans tune in and generate huge buzz online.

Fascinatingly, Belloni said the Oscars could share a never-before seen deleted scene from an iconic movie as a treat for longtime movie fans.  

‘Break news that movie lovers care about,’ he added, asking the format be further refined.

‘[Steven] Spielberg could come out and reveal what his super-secret next movie is all about, Chris Nolan could explain his approach to “The Odyssey,” Jordan Peele could announce the stars of his next movie.

Belloni also suggested getting Hollywood’s funniest filmmakers to spend all year making short movies that could be screened on the show, sparing viewers the awkward repartee of the ceremony’s guest hosts used to fill time between awards.

‘Stage major star reunions and have them do more than just walk out and present together; book major musical performances,’ Belloni added. Hours later, When Harry Met Sally’s Crystal and Meg Ryan would reunite to present this year’s Best Picture.

Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg at Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards. Moore was expected to win best actress for The Substance but didn’t. Her Ghost co-star Whoopi won best supporting actress for the paranormal movie in 1991

Vanessa Kirby and Amanda Seyfried at the 2021 Oscars, widely regarded as the most boring ever. The ceremony was held in a train station because of COVID and was watched by just 20 million people  

 Darcy then asked whether his guest believed the ceremony – long broadcast by ABC – would ever be streamed exclusively by a firm like Netflix.

The longheld ABC/Disney broadcast deal is set to expire in 2028, potentially leaving the legacy station without the rights to the telecast for the first time since 1976.

‘Netflix would love the Oscars, and would probably be willing to overpay,’ answered Belloni, as Disney boss Bob Iger was one of many in the crowd Sunday.

‘But the Academy is already talking to Disney/ABC about a possible re-up, and a likely scenario is less money and global rights, something similar to what the Grammys just did,’ he continued.

‘Let’s see if Bob Iger shows up tonight.’

Show up, he did – seen mingling with winners like Kieran Culkin, and even stopping for a snap with host Conan O’Brien.

‘Netflix would love the Oscars, and would probably be willing to overpay,’ said Belloni, as Disney boss Bob Iger was one of many in the auditorium once called the Kodak Theatre Sunday

‘But the Academy is already talking to Disney/ABC about a possible re-up, and a likely scenario is less money and global rights, something similar to what the Grammys just did,’ he continued. ‘Let’s see if Bob Iger shows up tonight.’ Show up, he did – seen here with host Conan O’Brien

‘Get great comedic filmmakers to spend all year making fun video shorts to debut on the show,’ Belloni also asked for, after experiments like three hosts in 2022 – Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall  – have all fallen flat

In interviews, the ‘big boss’ praised Disney projects honored with nods from the Academy this year, including ‘A Complete Unknown’ and ‘Inside Out 2.’ 

For the first time ever, the broadcast was also available to stream live on Hulu, with final ratings counts these days including such streaming numbers.

This year’s ratings, moreover, have yet to be released, leaving the affects of its new host, and they new way to watch, still to be seen.

Prior to O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for two years straight, following theAmy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall shared hosting experiment that only garnered 16million viewers.

For the three years prior, the Academy did away with a host altogether – a decision that viewers decidedly did not like. 

In 2018, the Hollywood Reporter called being the Oscars host “the least wanted job in Hollywood” – far from the days when Crystal made it a fixture. 

He hosted the Oscars nine times throughout the ’90s and 2000s, a number beaten only by the iconic Bob Hope, and approached by the equally beloved Johnny Carson.

Others like Kimmel, Kevin Hart, and James Franco have since failed to move the needle, with the latter’s hosting excursion, alongside Anne Hathaway in 2012, widely panned as an unsuccessful attempt to appeal to a younger audience that fell flat.

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