Beyoncé is said to be planning a surprise live performance for this year’s Academy Awards, to take place remotely from tennis courts in Compton, California.
According to reports by Variety, the concept began solidifying just last week, with the ceremony due to take place this Sunday (March 27).
The singer is nominated for ‘Best Original Song’ for the track ‘Be Alive’, which was recorded for the film King Richard, about Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena. The location of the rumoured performance is where he famously trained his daughters in the sport.
It’s reported that Will Smith, who plays Richard Williams in the film, could potentially appear as part of Beyoncé’s performance, before heading straight to the Oscars ceremony 20 miles away in Hollywood. He is nominated for ‘Best Actor’ for his role.
Neither an Academy spokesperson nor a Beyoncé spokesperson responded to requests for comment.
Elsewhere at the ceremony, Travis Barker, Sheila E., and Robert Glasper will appear alongside Adam Blackstone as part of an all-star band.
Nominations for this year’s Oscars were revealed last month, with Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog leading with 12 nominations. This is followed by Dune with 10 nods, while Belfast and West Side Story have seven each.
Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are set to host the awards. This year marks the first time in three years the Oscars will have a host, after Jimmy Kimmel last hosted the ceremony in 2018 and 2017.
Schumer recently claimed that Oscars producers turned down her idea for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to appear via video link at the ceremony.
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