Organisers of the upcoming Academy Awards say security arrangements for the ceremony have increased after the news of an FBI alert surfaced ahead of this year’s prestigious ceremony this Monday (local time), reported Variety.
The Oscars rolled out the red carpet earlier on Wednesday in Hollywood, with host Conan O’Brien. The FBI warned California law enforcement about the possibility of a retaliatory drone attack by Iran targeting the West Coast.
According to an alert reported by ABC News, as quoted by Variety, the FBI notified law enforcement across California in recent days that Iran could potentially retaliate for American military actions by launching drones toward the West Coast. The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department officials would not comment on the memo, but in a statement to the LA Times said the department was continuing to operate at an ‘elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance.’
Addressing a press conference earlier Wednesday with the 98th Oscars creative team, executive producer Raj Kapoor addressed a question about attendee and guest safety.
‘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.
“This show has to run like clockwork,” he said. “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,” added Kapoor as quoted by Variety.
The 98th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will air in more than 200 territories worldwide on March 15. (ANI)
