Actor-filmmaker Warren Beatty has asked Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to “clarify what happened as soon as possible” with the goof-ups that led to the wrong film being announced as the Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards.
Beatty has issued a statement on the controversy, in which he and co-presenter Faye Dunaway presented the award of the evening to “La La Land” instead of to “Moonlight”, reports variety.com.
“Rather than for me to respond to questions from the press about the Academy ceremony, I feel it would be more appropriate for the President of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, to publicly clarify what happened as soon as possible,” Beatty said.
The accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers has already issued a statement and conceded that one of its partners handed the incorrect envelope to Beatty, just before he took the stage to present the Best Picture award with Dunaway.
Beatty was given a “backup” envelope with the winner of the previously-announced Best Actress category enclosed — naming Emma Stone of “La La Land” the winner of that award.
Beatty hesitated to read the card, but held it out to Dunaway, who pronounced “La La Land” as the winner.
Roughly two minutes later, “La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz took the microphone to acknowledge that a mistake had been made, and “Moonlight” was the real winner.
