It’s giving Doctor Who. Ahead of the 2022 Oscars this Sunday, David Korins has shared images of his swirling blue-and-white set design for the 94th Academy Awards ceremony. “My vision with this design is to create a modern portal into the future where we trade in the currency of elegance and electricity,†the Hamilton production designer wrote in an Instagram post. “A future where community and togetherness are front and center and everything and everyone gets their own special moment to shine.†That description almost makes it sound like Korins has created a time travel machine… but surely if the Academy had one of those, they wouldn’t have chosen to cut eight categories from the live show.
The Dolby Theatre will undergo a futuristic transformation in order to return as this year’s venue. Per Korins’s renderings, the stage will be extended so that the winner circle and performance area are surrounded by people. In an Instagram caption, he said he wants his design to make a statement promoting “a world that boldly and unapologetically glows with positivity from the inside.†And of course we’re talking literal sparkle, too — he told Architectural Digest that there will be a light inside every piece of scenery on stage, while the shell design will feature 90,000 Swarovski crystals. The Oscars will air live on ABC and online on March 27 at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. Tune in if you feel like gazing upon this year’s shiny set until it’s glowing, glowing, gone.