“SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY” CHARACTER POSTER - RIO

Take a look at the character poster for Rio.

Oscars Won’t Perform Both Nominated Songs From ‘Rio’ Or ‘Muppets’

Source: Deadline Hollywood
http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/exclusive-oscars-wont-perform-nominated-songs/

It was bad enough that just about every eligible tune in the Best Original Song category was omitted from this year’s Academy Awards nominations. Or that, due to their complicated voting system, the music branch of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences saw fit to nominate only two songs: Rio’s “Real In Rio”  and The Muppets’  ”Man or Muppet” when well-known artists like Elton John, Mary J. Blige, and Sinead O’Connor also had terrific songs in the mix. But now Deadline has learned that neither nominated song will be performed during the Oscar telecast as things stand now. We understand that both studios — Rio‘s Fox and The Muppets‘ Disney — formally protested the decision to skip but received turn-downs. ”It seems like a huge missed opportunity to me, and we certainly tried,” one song insider just told us. Said another song insider: “It doesn’t make sense. They could have so much fun with Muppets and Rio staging.”

Though this decision sounds firm because of the telecast’s pressure-cooker time constraints, some of those affected hope all-powerful Academy Awards telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer still have a work in progress. “The show is not locked yet. Decisions about this and other things continue to be evaluated by the team trying to produce the most entertaining 3 hours possible,” one authoritative source just emailed us. “Someone ‘leaking’ this possibility to you is just another way for people to try and influence the creative direction of the show. And there have been Oscar shows that did not have the nom songs performed.” Indeed Alan Carr’s infamous 1989 Oscars performed no songs, and another recent broadcast presented a clip reel of the warbling. Hey, for what it’s worth, we want the songs every year.

So, in case we do not get a performance of the two songs nominated for Best Original Song, here they are:

Rio - Real In Rio


The Muppets - Man or Muppet

18 Animated Features Submitted for 2011 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (November 4, 2011) – Eighteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.
The 18 submitted features are:

• "The Adventures of Tintin"
• "Alois Nebel"
• "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"
• "Arthur Christmas"
• "Cars 2"
• "A Cat in Paris"
• "Chico & Rita"
• "Gnomeo & Juliet"
• "Happy Feet Two"
• "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil"
• "Kung Fu Panda 2"
• "Mars Needs Moms"
• "Puss in Boots"
• "Rango"
• "Rio"
• "The Smurfs"
• "Winnie the Pooh"
• "Wrinkles"

Several of the films listed have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying runs. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet all of the category's other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.
Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.