Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA PressThe fate of the Oscars ceremony is still up in the air, but that doesn't mean producer Gil Cates & Co. has stopped working to put a show together.
So much so that I’m told requests have gone out to potential presenters. A well-placed source reports that Cameron Diaz is one of the first—if not the first—to sign on as a presenter.
“Not confirming anything,” Diaz’s rep said in an email. "Any conversations about the Oscars are contingent upon the status of the strike."
It would be Diaz's fifth time as a presenter at the Academy Awards.
While Cates hasn’t revealed any backup plans if the Writers Guild pickets the 80th annual awards gala on Feb. 24—many big-name celebs like George Clooney have said they will not cross the picket line—I’m told the mood at the Academy is upbeat, and they're optimistic they won’t be left with a Golden Globes-like fiasco.
“They just keep saying the Oscars are happening, the Oscars are happening,” my source said.
Earlier this week, the WGA announced it would not picket the Grammys on Feb. 9. The Independent Spirit Awards, which take place the day before the Oscars, have also been assured they can proceed without any strike-related problems.
Fingers crossed they do the same for the Oscars.