Oscar telecast to include James Bond tribute
LOS ANGELES — “Skyfall” may be a question mark for an Oscar best picture nomination, but it will be featured at this year’s Academy Awards in another way.
Producers announced Friday that the scheduled Feb. 24 ABC telecast will include a tribute to the glamorous secret agent, who hit a milestone in 2012.
Craig Zadan and Neal Meron, who are producing the show, issued a statement revealing “a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday.”
“Skyfall” is a strong contender in several technical categories at this year’s Oscars, which is to be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. If the movie winds up on the shortlist for best picture, it could make for an especially 007-filled evening.
Even if it doesn’t, Friday’s news does what critics of the Oscars have been pushing for in recent years: finding a way to work the year’s blockbusters into the show and, in so doing, attract a wider audience.
It’s been a celebratory year generally for Bond, with “Skyfall” earning spectacular reviews and grossing more than $1 billion worldwide, the first time the franchise has crossed that mark.
