Al Pacino confused viewers when he quickly announced the winner of Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars last night, and now we know why he did it.
For those who missed the show, Pacino’s moment saw him invited onstage to reveal the winner of what is arguably the ceremony’s most prestigious award. It’s a moment that has movie fans on the edges of their seats every year, so when the legendary Godfather actor didn’t read off the list of nominees before fumbling through the letter opening, the audience wasn’t quite sure how to react.
“And my eyes see Oppenheimer,” Pacino said at the time, revealing the Christopher Nolan-directed film as this year’s Best Picture winner.
Al Pacino announced Best Picture like this was the first time he had ever heard of a film called Oppenheimer. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/dq6hrtnwRK
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) March 11, 2024
The legendary Godfather actor chimed in amid the commotion with a statement today (via Variety). While many were quick to pin the flub on Pacino, he says the Oscar producers decided to leave out the listing of the nominees. In fact, it sounds like he was just as upset as everyone else.
“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino said. “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 was honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.”
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Pacino’s statement continues: “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.”
Last night’s 96th Oscars ceremony followed an approach that saw the show highlighting Best Picture nominees incrementally throughout the evening. Clips and highlight reels focusing on these individual movies would show up in between award announcements, often just after a commercial break for those watching at home.
Oscars producer Molly McNearney spoke with Variety about Pacino’s reading as well, clarifying further that it was indeed a choice by the producers. She says the “creative decision” arrived because the Oscars team was “very worried that the show was going to be long.”
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
“By the time you get to the end of the show, you’ve seen all 10 best picture clip packages,” McNearney said. “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.”
For more from last night’s Oscars, be sure to read up on some of the show’s most viral moments. You should also check out John Cena’s nearly nude moment, as well as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star Shameik Moore’s thoughts on the winner of Best Animated Feature.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
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