And the Oscar for the starriest red-carpet event — well, in this case it was green — since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic goes to ... the opening gala for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Hollywood’s hottest actors, musicians, filmmakers, models and other entertainment luminaries came out in droves Saturday evening for the grand unveiling of the film academy’s long-anticipated museum of movie memorabilia , at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles.
The cinematic collection of exhibits — comprising thousands of souvenirs from the sets of iconic productions such as “The Wizard of Oz,†“Alien,†“Star Wars†and “Psycho†— opens to the public Thursday.
Originally slated for completion four years ago, the new destination for cinephiles has been significantly delayed in its debut by key staffing changes and, of course, the ongoing public health crisis.
Fittingly, the museum contains an opulent shrine to the Academy Awards, complete with real Oscar statuettes and an interactive space where visitors can record their own acceptance speeches.
Among the celebrities who graced the opening gala’s green carpet this weekend in glamorous style were Halle Berry, Mj Rodriguez, Lady Gaga, Spike Lee, Regina King, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman and Olivia Rodrigo.
Here’s a sampling of the arrivals, captured by Times photographer Jay L. Clendenin.
Singer and actor Olivia Rodrigo at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Laverne Cox at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Fashion designer Jeremy Scott at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Filmmaker Spike Lee and producer Tonya Lewis Lee, center, with daughter Satchel, left, and son Jackson at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Model Adriana Lima at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Meg Ryan at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Singer Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Gabrielle Union-Wade at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Nicole Kidman at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Selma Blair at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Writer-producer Emily V. Gordon and actor-producer Kumail Nanjiani at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Halle Berry at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Darren Criss at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Director J.J. Abrams at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actors Annette Bening and Warren Beatty at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Director Chloé Zhao at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Maggie Gyllenhaal at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Angela Bassett at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Laura Dern, right, and her daughter Jaya at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Regina Hall at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Jamie Lee Curtis at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Ariana DeBose at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Theater director Sophie Hunter and actor Benedict Cumberbatch at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Gala co-chair and producer Jason Blum and writer Lauren Schuker Blum at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Kate Hudson at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Fashion designer Zac Posen at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Director and gala co-chair Ava DuVernay at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor and dancer Jenna Dewan at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor and director Regina King at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Model Kaia Gerber at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Jon Bernthal at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Eva Longoria at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Jennifer Hudson on the green carpet at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Actor Anna Kendrick at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Actor Michelle Rodriguez at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Basketball player Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union-Wade at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
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Skier Lindsey Vonn at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Singer-actor Cher and fashion designer Bob Mackie at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson on the green carpet at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Actor Jurnee Smollett at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor-singer Mj Rodriguez at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Sophia Loren at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Issa Rae at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Tessa Thompson at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Thuso Mbedu at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Actor Billie Lourd at the Academy Museum’s opening gala in L.A. on Saturday.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)