Dolby Theater
Neilson Barnard/Getty
The lights went out Saturday afternoon on one of Hollywood’s most famous blocks.
With just over 24 hours until the Oscars, a power outage threatened preparations for Sunday’s Oscars telecast. Shortly after 1 p.m., a source on-site at the Ovation Hollywood complex reported that the power was out for the entire block between Highland and Orange Avenues, a stretch of Hollywood that is set to be the tallest block. frequented in the city.
Crew and rewards insiders were stuck in elevators and local shop owners were forced to close for the day, according to eyewitness accounts. The news comes after a few days of heavy downpours across Los Angeles that are expected to dissipate before the awards show begins on Sunday.
According to another source on site, the outage was devastating from an event production perspective. According to the insider, the power went out at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on Highland Avenue for more than three hours. The Academy Accreditation Team – a group stationed inside the Loews and responsible for accrediting hundreds of media professionals, publicists and crews – has been disrupted as the server is down. “Chaos,” the person said, adding, “Everything is at a standstill.”
It is understood that rehearsals inside the Dolby Theater were underway and the outage inside was only temporary, lasting a few seconds before resuming. It is unknown if the Dolby’s electricity may have worked using a separate generator. The Hollywood Reporter contacted the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for comment.
According to an update around 3:30 p.m., two sources reported that power had been restored to the block. The Academy informed the press that shortly after 3 p.m. the accreditation process was extended for several hours, until 7 p.m., “due to today’s unexpected power outage.”
The biggest movie night of the year will take place at the Dolby Theater on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT., where Elvis, All Quiet on the Western Front, Triangle of Sadness, Top Gun: Maverick, The Fabelmans, The Banshees of Inisherin, Women Talking, Avatar: The Way of Water, Tár And Everything everywhere all at once will compete for the first prize. Jimmy Kimmel returns as host of the evening for the third year.