Say hello to Al Pacino at the 2024 Oscars.
While the Hollywood legend received a standing ovation at the Dolby Theatre March 10, he left the internet stumped with his unconventional approach to presenting the Best Picture award. (Click here for the complete list of winners and see all the red carpet arrivals here.)
Traditionally, the presenter would list the nominees in the category before announcing the winner. However, Pacino did not when he took the stage, instead telling the audience, “Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for Best Picture—and I have to go to the envelope for that.”
The 83-year-old also opted to forgo building up fanfare. Upon opening the envelope, the Scarface star simply said, “My eyes see Oppenheimer.”
A source with knowledge tells E! News his presenting style was decided ahead of time as a creative direction.
Needless to say, fans had varying opinions of how the night’s biggest prize was handled after sitting through a three-and-a-half hour ceremony.
“Most anti-climatic Best Picture announcement ever,” one Oscar watcher wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I wanted to see all of the nominees.”