Brett Ratner & Don Mischer to Produce Oscar Telecast

BURBANK: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has signed up Brett Ratner and Don Mischer to produce the 84th Academy Awards telecast, which will air on ABC on February 26, 2012.

The deal marks a first-time involvement for Ratner, while this is the second consecutive year Mischer will produce. This year, Mischer also serves as the telecast director. Ratner’s producing credits include the current release Horrible Bosses as well as the upcoming Snow White adaptation. Mischer’s producer/director credits include We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, The Kennedy Center Honors, several Super Bowl half-time shows and the opening ceremonies of the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

“I was so impressed with Brett when I met with him to discuss the Oscar show,” said Tom Sherak, the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. “He has an incredible love of film and its history, and is a true student of the business of movies. He’s unbelievably creative and knows how to take risks that are both interesting and inspiring. Together with Don Mischer—who, by the way, just earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the 83rd Academy Awards—I think these two will give us a fantastic Oscar show that you won’t want to miss.”

“I’m thrilled that Don will again bring his tremendous expertise to the Oscar telecast,” added Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO. “And Brett has a really smart and fresh take for the show. They have great chemistry, and their vision meshed so well with ours.”

“Making movies has been my dream since childhood, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have made several, but the Oscar show is in a league of its own,” commented Ratner. “It will be fantastic to work with a live television master like Don to meld the glamor of legendary Hollywood with the enormous talents who thrill moviegoers today.”

“The Academy Awards are in a class by themselves, and I’m elated that the Academy has asked me to return,” added Mischer. “I hope to take the wealth of knowledge I now have about the Oscars, which is a completely unique kind of show, and work with Brett to create an evening that is fast-paced, fun and memorable to movie fans and Oscar fans everywhere.”