Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences adds new members to its ranks from across the film industry, all of whom cast ballots in the Oscar race. While these changes aren’t usually seen as having an immediate impact on awards season, that’s changed in recent years, following the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that led the Academy to add a much higher volume of new members. Still, previous additions pale in comparison to the latest news that the Academy has invited a record 928 new members, marking its greatest diversity push to date.
So: What does this actually mean for the Oscar race? That’s the starting point for this week’s episode of Screen Talk, as Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson discuss some of the new members that stood out on the list and how it points to the overall direction of the Oscars. They also tackle two recent sequels, “Sicario: Day of Soldado” and “Ocean’s Eight,” as well as the newly released drama “Leave No Trace.”
Listen to the full episode below.
Screen Talk is available on iTunes.
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