At the Oscars, the Cult of Legends Does not Erase the Question of What Comes Next

Once again, some great films will be in the running for this year's Oscars. While the 2025 edition saw the film Anora triumph with five statuettes, the 2026 favorites seem to be focusing on two feature films: One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson and Sinners by director Ryan Coogler. With two days to go before the ceremony, bookmakers place the former clearly in the lead in the race for best picture, with an implied probability of around 75%, ahead of Sinners at around 25%, while Hamnet and Marty Supreme now appear to be outsiders.

In terms of global attention, the Oscars confirmed in 2025 their ability to attract audiences far beyond the television screen, with 19.69 million viewers on ABC and Hulu and 104.2 million social interactions, according to Disney. By way of comparison, the Grammys attracted 14.4 million views last February on CBS. For the 89th Oscars, although no specific audience targets have been announced, everything seems to be in place to consolidate last year's success, thanks in part to the return of star presenter and comedian Conan O'Brien and the growing activation of digital platforms.

So it's certain that on the night of Sunday, March 15, all eyes will be on the stage of the DolbyTheatre at Ovation Hollywood. However, part of the story will unfold elsewhere, right next door. In the Green Room—the exclusive and intimate backstage area where only nominees, speakers, and winners are allowed—artists whose careers will be forever changed that evening will cross paths. Everything has been done to ensure that this secret setting, decorated entirely in the colors of sponsor Rolex, is the legendary place where new artistic collaborations are forged, new staging ideas are discussed, and tomorrow's film projects are whispered about. This space, hidden from view and photographers, which the Swiss watchmaker has designed for the Academy since 2016, is more conducive to sharing than to triumph. Committed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2017, Rolex has increased its support for the sector each year, gradually becoming a partner of the Governors Awards, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Student Academy Awards, and the Academy100 program. Preserving the cultural heritage of cinema for future generations is a challenge, at a time when the arrival of artificial intelligence in the industry may be an additional factor of fragility.

This raises several questions: Can AI change the economics of audiovisual production, content volumes, costs, and the very structure of the industry? In its report published on January 23, “What AI could mean for film and TV production and the industry's future,” McKinsey provides a partial answer and quotes Adrienne Lahens of Infinite Studios, among others: “Creators will position themselves upstream in the production chain as AI brings cinema-quality production tools within reach of those who have never had access to traditional Hollywood channels.”

On the one hand, several initiatives present AI as a lever for experimentation and openness to new creators. On the other hand, part of the industry fears aesthetic homogenization, the weakening of professions, and the dilution of human touch.

There is no doubt that the 7^th art remains an industry that continues to capture attention. It remains to be seen whether it will continue to inspire passion.