Gaga Media
Members of the Academy recently attended screenings of A Star is Born in Los Angeles and New York and they actually had to turn people away because there were no seats left in the theatre (1,010 seats were available).
They had to turn people away, I have never seen that — ever.” -Christine La Monte, member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’
Hollywood Reporter reached out to members of the Academy that attended the screening to discuss the screening.
It seems like the Academy had already anticipated loads of people to show up to this screening as they had this written on their website: “DUE TO ANTICIPATED HEAVY ATTENDANCE, MEMBERS MAY ONLY BRING ONE GUEST.” Attendee’s are typically allowed to bring multiple guests.
People started lining up at 5pm for the 7:30pm screening, David Magdael said “The line went from the front door [on Wilshire Boulevard] up La Peer [Drive], all the way to the next street over, and it just kept growing and growing, I was surrounded by people who I rarely see there.” who frequently attends screenings.
He also mentioned that “This is the first ‘sold-out’ [admission is free for dues-paying members and their guests] picture this year that I’ve attended.”
Another member of the Academy who didn’t want to be named said: “It was the High Holy Days of screenings: the once-a-year members [as in, people who usually stay home and watch Oscar hopefuls on screeners] showed up. I call them ‘the walker set’ — I have never seen so many old people at an Academy screening.”
ALL ABOARD THE ACCLAIM TRAIN!
