Los Angeles, California – The Oscars ceremony on Sunday took an unexpected turn when Al Pacino announced the winner for Best Picture to be “Oppenheimer.” The veteran actor’s casual announcement caused some confusion in the audience before the applause began and the orchestra started playing as the cast and crew of “Oppenheimer” took the stage.
According to sources close to the production, Pacino’s deviation from the traditional format was a pre-planned creative decision. He was not supposed to announce the nominees before revealing the winner, but his impromptu delivery added a touch of his unique style to the evening.
Prior to Pacino’s announcement, Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel made a light-hearted joke about tearing up envelopes, referring to the infamous mix-up in 2017 when “La La Land” was mistakenly called as the winner instead of “Moonlight.” The incident added a moment of levity to the event.
Despite the deviation from the script, Bill Kramer, the Chief Executive of the Academy, stated that everything went smoothly and Pacino was simply having fun on stage. It was a departure from past Oscar dramas, adding an element of spontaneity to the ceremony.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Pacino for further comments on the incident. The deviation from the norm added a moment of unpredictability to an otherwise structured event, showcasing Pacino’s charisma and willingness to embrace the unexpected.