OSCAR 2012: Calling all potent telecast directors!

Mary Poppins' abound in the Danny Boyle
produced Olympics opening ceremony

We're likely just on the outside of people starting to wonder when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are going to pick out their producer(s), and then subsequently host, for the 85th Annual Academy Awards telecast. Usually the latter is the talk of the net, but equally, and actually even more important is the producer behind the show. We all know the kerfuffle that ensued last year on behalf of Brett Ratner's ill-timed comments that forced him and Eddie Murphy out of proceedings. It is kind of a shame, because I would have liked to see what Eddie Murphy would have done with that opportunity. Less interested in Ratner, but that thing passed for a reason.

Brian Grazer and Don Mischer produced this past year's show, which wasn't really that unpleasant a thing if we're to be perfectly honest. A bit predictable, corny, and safe even, but it was still a brisk and enjoyable night of celebration, and the only major letdown had to do with somebody winning an award which rightfully belonged to another. Billy Crystal was the right choice for where the Academy was at that point in time, calling back to its past in an exuberant manner, and making us all feel generally at home. It was, or at least it should be, a gentle goodbye to what was difficult time in the history of the awards ceremony.

So in the matter of moving forward, finding the right producer to bring us gloriously into this new age is essential, and many are already turning their heads to a man rather strong in the media eye recently. That's Danny Boyle, who just came off of producing one of the most spellbinding, ridiculous, and nostalgically grand in scale opening ceremonies in Olympics history. Kicking off with Daniel Craig's James Bond escorting the Queen to the Olympics via helicopter, moving on to a completely bonkers set piece including several characters of British fantasy (Voldemort, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins (A MILLION OF THEM)), but one of the most memorable bits was in tribute to the 2005 London bombings. A dance performed to the hymn "Abide with Me" became such a strange, terrifying, and triumphantly hopeful conclusion to a stream of memorable performances.

So it should be clear (right?) that Danny Boyle is just the guy to snatch up to produce the first in the next wave of Academy Awards telecasts. I have a wonderful feeling that Boyle would choose somebody different, new, and crazy to host the show. Anybody else think Cillian Murphy would be a completely weird, unexpected, but damn exciting choice? But so as not to be stuck into a single idea, I might as well throw a bunch of much less likely ideas on this topics. I like the idea of a legitimate film director taking on the prestigious awards show, because they would know to make this as much of an event as possible, so let's get started, shall we?

First off, as the most unlikely of choices, Nicolas Winding Refn... Impossible. I know, but wouldn't that be fucking awesome? A much more likely, and come to think of it rather perfect choice would be Steven Soderbergh. It may just be the delirious fumes I have after seeing "Magic Mike" (again, and wowza, is that movie absolutely the best this year!), but the guy has such a smooth, cool, and aware style and feel that would make a telecast such a different and amazing thing. I think the key is to find somebody who isn't overtly comedic in scope. Entertainment is essential, but you hire directors for that.

The sky really is the limit with who you could choose. Gore Verbinski would bring a much more adventurous and exuberant tint to a show that has a tendency to lull people to sleep. Steven Spielberg seems like he'd make a rather interesting spectacle of things, and you know people would be on board with something like that! I don't know about you guys, but Brad Bird isn't doing anything right now, and I think he may be my favorite choice of all. He makes all the moments in his films, whether comedic, action, or emotional, pay off in spades. Bird would make the experience of winning and occasion a much more momentous thing. But those are just a few ideas, and feel free to leave your own below, as well as reasons why. I back my opinions up. I expect you do the same!