LOS ANGELES — Looking to rebound from what was widely seen as a disastrous 2022 Oscars, marred by Will Smith’s shocking altercation with Chris Rock and controversy over changes to the show, the film academy announced Saturday that Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will serve as executive producers of the 95th Academy Awards.
Weiss and Kirshner co-founded the production company White Cherry Entertainment in 1999 and have since collaborated on numerous televised events. Weiss, who co-produced the 2019 Academy Awards along with Donna Gigliotti, will direct the Oscars for the eighth consecutive year. Kirshner, whose credits include 14 Super Bowl halftime shows as well as the Tony Awards and other live TV events, will mark his first time working on the Oscars.
The announcement came in conjunction with a rare all-member meeting held over Zoom by the academy on Saturday, as recently named CEO Bill Kramer looks to communicate his vision for the organization’s future following the transformative but often tumultuous 11-year tenure of his predecessor, Dawn Hudson.
