Academy: Oscar show will go on as planned

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told E! Online its upcoming 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony will go on as planned.

The ongoing Writers Guild of America strike has forced producers of some awards ceremonies to change the formats of their prize presentations because the WGA threatened to picket the traditional kudosfests and most actors won't cross picket lines to get inside.

"We are moving forward with planning for our show for Feb. 24, and at this point in time, we're doing all the things we normally would be doing," Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger told E! Online Tuesday. "There's voting, we're having meetings about the red carpet and the usual things are in the works."

WGA West president Patric Verrone said Tuesday the guild won't grant requests to employ striking writers for the Feb. 24 ceremony.

The WGA has also already rejected the Academy's standard application to use clips of films and past Oscar broadcasts.

Nominations for the 2008 Academy Awards are slated to be announced Jan. 22.

Economists predict canceling the Oscars and all the fanfare that accompanies Hollywood cinema's biggest night could cost the city of Los Angeles an estimated $130 million.