Organizers of the 98th Academy Awards are assuring the attendees of this weekend’s ceremony that security will be up to speed following an FBI alert to local law enforcement regarding possible drone strikes from Iran.
ABC News reported Wednesday that the FBI alerted law enforcement in California to a potential retaliatory drone strike on the West Coast by Iran amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. Wednesday was also the day the Oscars began their red-carpet rollout in Los Angeles. Host Conan O’Brien and media members were under heightened security after news of the threat broke, according to Variety.
The Los Angeles Police Department, in an emailed statement to celebrity.land, also offered reassurances.
“The Los Angeles Police Department continues to monitor global events and any potential related threats that could impact Los Angeles,” the department said. “We want to reassure every Angeleno that we continue to coordinate with all of our Federal, State, and local partners for intelligence and information sharing during the ongoing Middle East conflict.”
Oscars executive producer Raj Kapoor, responded to a safety question during a Wednesday press conference with the show’s creative team.
“I feel like on this show, we have one of the best teams in the business in all aspects, and that comes down to our security team,” Kapoor said. “So, of course, every year we monitor what’s going on in the world. We have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it’s a close collaboration.”
“This show has to run like clockwork,” he continued. “But we want everybody who is coming to this show, who is witnessing the show, who is even a fan of the show, when they’re standing outside the barricades … we want everybody to feel safe, protected, and welcome. It’s our job as a producing team to make sure that that translates, and that really comes down to us with this very tight relationship, and we have a whole other team of support. It’s something that we don’t take lightly and we take a lot of responsibility for.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Publicists and studio representatives are expected to participate in a red-carpet walkthrough on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, Variety reported.
The ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT.
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