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Craig Zadan and Neil Meron return to produce 2015 Oscars

by jmaloni

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Mon, Apr 21st 2014 09:00 pm

Motion picture, television and theater producing team Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will return to produce the Oscars for a third consecutive year, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced today. The 87th Oscars will air live on the ABC Television Network "Oscar" Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to have Craig and Neil back to produce the Oscars again in 2015," Boone Isaacs said. "Their showmanship has elevated the show to new heights and we are excited to keep the momentum going with this creative partnership."

"This year's show reached viewers of all ages and set social media records, proving that Craig and Neil are masters at tapping into the zeitgeist and capturing the hearts of movie fans around the world," said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

"We are delighted to work with Cheryl, Dawn and the Academy to produce the Oscars for a third time," Zadan and Meron said. "We're proud of the show's success over the last two years, and are eager to embark on another entertaining show to honor this year's motion pictures."

The 86th Oscars, on March 2, marked the return of host Ellen DeGeneres, and featured memorable musical performances by artists including Pharrell Williams and U2; a tribute to "The Wizard of Oz" by Pink; and a star-studded, record-breaking selfie seen around the world.

The show drew an average audience of 45.4 million total viewers, delivering a 13.7 rating among adults 18-49 (Live+7), and reached 74.6 million viewers watching 6-plus minutes - the best since 2004. The Oscars were TV's most-watched entertainment telecast in 10 years, and attracted the biggest viewership in 14 years.

Zadan and Meron's feature film, television and theater productions have earned a total of six Oscars, 11 Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, five Golden Globes, two Peabody Awards, five GLAAD Awards and two NAACP Image Awards. For film, they executive produced the 2002 Best Picture winner "Chicago," which won Oscars in six of the 13 categories in which it was nominated. Their credits also include the feature films "Footloose" (2011), "Hairspray" (2007) and "The Bucket List" (2007). Zadan also produced the original "Footloose" (1984).

For television, Zadan and Meron executive produced last year's "The Sound of Music Live!", which drew a record-breaking 21.3 million viewers. Their other critically acclaimed credits include last year's miniseries "Bonnie and Clyde," the TV series "Smash" and "Drop Dead Diva." The duo has also produced such Emmy-nominated television movies as "Steel Magnolias," "A Raisin in the Sun," as well as "Annie," "Serving in Silence," "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" and "Gypsy."

On Broadway, they recently produced the revivals of the Tony-winning "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette, and the Tony-winning "Promises, Promises" starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.

Zadan and Meron's upcoming projects include executive producing the television musical "Peter Pan Live!"

The Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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