The Latest: The red carpet is open ahead of the 97th Academy Awards

Mission: Possible for June Squibb

June Squibb had no time to spare. She made a grand entrance to the red carpet in sequined florals, being pushed with purpose in a wheelchair.

“There’s June!” someone said, trying to get her attention, but she was already too far away.

“Oh well, she’s on a mission,” another shrugged.

Just like “Thelma.”

Meet the creator of ‘Johanne Sacreblu,’ Mexico’s joyous revenge against ‘Emilia Pérez’

“Emilia Pérez” is not exactly popular in Mexico, where it’s been met largely with indifference or negativity. Instead, Mexico has rallied around “Johanne Sacreblu,” a protest parody from trans filmmaker Camila D. Aurora.

The short film has amassed more than 3 million YouTube views, and was even shown in cinemas with a red carpet event.

Aurora was curious about “Emilia Perez,” but since the film didn’t premiere until very late in the awards season in Mexico, she had to watch it (first) using a pirated link. She didn’t like it at all, finding its trans and Mexican representation derogatory and problematic.

So she took to TikTok with a pitch: The trans heirs of two millionaire French feuding families, Johanne Sacreblu and Agtugo Ratatouille (performed by Aurora and the Yeylán Torres, respectively), fall in love in the middle of their battle to decide if the croissant or the baguette is the ultimate French bread.

Her followers suggested she fundraise. Aurora collected around $1,700 (35,000 Mexican pesos). She composed and recorded the songs for the 28-minute musical, which premiered the same weekend as “Emilia Perez” did in Mexico. It notched 1 million viewers in just three days.

“We were the ant that faced the giant, it’s very incredible,” Aurora told The Associated Press. “I was doing activism, and my activism began the moment I gathered 50 people using only TikTok videos who came together to work two, three days, many hours, just for the pleasure of laughing about this film that a few days ago only made them angry.”

The film has collected double its original budget. She’s donated part of the profits to two organizations, the feminist group Las Hijas de Mayahuel, which advocates for dignified menstrual health and provides medical care as well as the Grupo Nacional de Búsqueda, a collective of organizations of relatives of disappeared people in Mexico.

And, soon, expect a part two.

BEHIND THE LENS: What it’s like on the loud, loud red carpet

AP photographer Chris Pizzello is a veteran of awards shows — and their red carpets. Here’s how he gets the shot amid fierce competition:

I am a naturally quiet person, so I’ve never been a yeller. Even when I do yell, everyone complains that they can’t hear me! So I try to concentrate on capturing what red carpet photographers call “moments.” A wave. A wink. A spontaneous burst of laughter. Or maybe a look back over the shoulder as the celebrity is walking away. It’s just a matter of always being attentive. I also occasionally like to focus on interesting details, like shoes or necklaces.

“Like A Bird” from “Sing Sing” mints two first-time Oscar nominees

Abraham Alexander and Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, who composed “Like A Bird” for “Sing Sing,” are up for best original song this year. It marks their first ever Academy Award nominations. But because the nominees in that category won’t perform in 2025, they won’t hit the stage with the likes of 16-nominee Diane Warren or Elton John.

“We would love to share the stage with Elton John and so forth. But what’s a performance if it’s not for people to share? What’s a song if ears can’t hear it?” Alexander said on the red carpet. “We heard they wanted to honor people that were affected by the fires and we were here while it was happening. So, we’re about people. And whichever way we can elevate people’s humanity and human experience, we’re all about.”

Elsewhere in Los Angeles: Timothée Chalamet’s look-alikes vie for a look-alike Oscar

Two of Timothée Chalamet’s lookalikes — yes, those lookalikes — spent the weekend in Los Angeles filming an advertisement for New York hairdresser Sergio Slavnov’s Avenue Man hair care brand.

Miles Mitchell and Zander Dueve placed first and second in the October contest hosted by YouTuber Anthony Po. Flown out from New York and Atlanta by Slavnov to work on the campaign, Mitchell and Dueve spent part of Friday on Rodeo Drive filming the campaign.

“It’s just the gift that keeps on giving, and it just keeps proving to be that,” Dueve said, dressed as Chalamet’s “Dune” character Paul Atreides. “Every now and again, I’m like, okay, five minutes up and then I’m like, oh, okay — there’s another thing, and then another thing, and then Miles and I are coming here.”

Mitchell reprised the thrifted “Wonka” costume that won him the contest. In his briefcase this time? Hair products — and a 3D-printed Oscar statuette.

Everyone’s gotta eat — even the media

Media members started trickling into the press areas in Loews Hotel around 9 a.m. There are dedicated rooms for photographers and print reporters, while most of the television and broadcast reporters line the red carpet. Some members of The Associated Press arrived as early as 10 a.m.

And to the joy of many, the breads, meats and cheeses are out. There are rows of tables with placards revealing our meals later in the night, which include beef empanadas, pasta, jumbo shrimp and vegetable spring rolls. News outlets are still finding their seats and grabbing their plates. Two hours remain until the cameras and microphones are out.

Clarence Maclin’s joyful Oscar debut

“Sing Sing” star and co-writer Clarence Maclin was joyful on the red carpet at his first Oscars.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “The honor of being with people I’ve been watching my whole life? I don’t feel like I’m in competition; I feel like I’m with the best in class.”

Maclin still has one person on his wish list to meet: Denzel Washington.

Bowen Yang bounds down the red carpet

Bowen Yang was among the earlier celebrities to arrive. Excited and dancing his way through the carpet, he blew kisses to fans. His “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater was close behind, perhaps less excited for the spotlight: “No thanks,” he said to a passing photographer looking to take a snap. Fans asked him who he would text first if “Wicked” won: “My sister,” he said.

How to get a spot in the Oscars bleachers

Many of the screaming fans in the bleachers entered contests through local TV and radio stations to get the coveted spot on the red carpet. Some are even second or third timers.

“Wicked” seems to be the favorite of the bunch, so expect the decibel levels to rise when Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo arrive.

“We’re going to lose but we love them so much,” said one woman.

The red carpet is underway

The awards ceremony is still a few hours away, but that’s not deterring the stars from making an early entrance. The Associated Press’ official live fashion coverage from the red carpet has officially kicked off, and you can catch all the glitz and glamour here.

Watching on a TV? E!’s “Live from E! The Oscars” red carpet coverage will start at 1 p.m. Pacific and 4 p.m. Eastern ABC’s official red carpet pre-show, hosted by Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer, will begin at 3:30 p.m. Pacific and 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Then, at 4 p.m. Pacific and 7 p.m. Eastern, the Oscars will be streamed live on Hulu. You can also watch via Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. With authentication from your provider, you can watch on ABC.com and the ABC app.

A ‘Color Purple’ reunion

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg are set to reunite on the Oscars stage — though what they’ll be doing there is under wraps until the live broadcast.

Both appeared in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of “The Color Purple,” which earned them Oscar nominations — Winfrey for supporting and Goldberg for lead. They rehearsed together at the Dolby Theatre on Saturday morning for their top-secret presentation.

The two co-stars in reconnected in recent years, clearing the air about a “feud” that they realized never existed but had kept them apart for decades.

This awards season’s fashion MVPs

The list of celebrities bringing it on recent red carpets is growing, a little over a month after the devastating Los Angeles fires subdued carpet dressing for a time. As the city moves into rebuild mode, stars will likely up their fashion games for the biggest awards night of the season: The Oscars.

Cynthia Erivo: Erivo has always taken fashion risks, ditching her Elphaba black for last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards, opting for a silver Givenchy look with a high shaggy collar worthy of her bad witch role.

Jeremy Strong: He wore a mint green suit with a bucket hat in the same color to the Golden Globes. His white turtleneck topped it all off.

Danielle Deadwyler: Deadwyler didn’t play it safe in a bright red strapless 3D structured tiered gown from Louis Vuitton at the SAGs.

Timothée Chalamet: At the SAGs, he married a bright brat green button-up shirt from Chrome Hearts with a shiny black leather suit and a bolo tie as he continues to channel Bob Dylan.

Ariana Grande: Like Margot Robbie’s Barbie pink, Grande has been mostly sticking to a far paler hue, her signature and an homage to her “Wicked” good witch.

Mikey Madison: New fashion darling went Hollywood bombshell at the SAGs with a strapless silver Louis Vuitton look with a large pleated bow at the waist. She’s been working with stylist Jamie Mizrahi, who has dressed Adele and Jennifer Lawrence, among many other celebs.

BEHIND THE LENS: A photographer’s view on one weird awards season

AP photographer Chris Pizzello has been shooting the Oscars for more than a decade. Here’s his take on what makes this awards season different:

This is the least predictable awards season in memory. Usually, I’m about 95% correct in training my lens on the eventual winner of a category in the audience, but this year I’d say I’m more 75%.

Mikey Madison seemed to have the late awards season momentum with wins at BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards, but then Demi Moore struck back at the SAGs. Adrien Brody was winning everything, but then Timothée Chalamet finally took one last Sunday. This year’s Oscars seem wide-open in best actor, best actress and best picture (although I’d narrow that one down to either “Anora” or “Conclave”).

The only absolutely sure thing in the major categories, in my view, is Kieran Culkin for best supporting. He’s run the table this year.

What’s the deal with ‘Emilia Pérez’?

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.

But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascón were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.

All things considered, though, the film did well at France’s Césars — its home country’s Oscars equivalent — on Friday.

Brazil’s Fernanda Torres is this year’s Carnival muse

Brazil’s Carnival muse this year isn’t one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools. It’s Fernanda Torres, who’s competing for the best actress Oscar.

The Oscars fall smack in the middle of Carnival, Brazil’s largest celebration, which runs through Tuesday. During the five-day revelry, the rest of the universe usually fades into the background as Brazilians cut loose and indulge.

Not this year — and the keen focus on the Oscars speaks to Brazil’s pride for its culture and desire to be recognized on the global stage.

Torres is nominated for her performance as the lead in the Walter Salles-directed “I’m Still Here,” which is also nominated for best picture and best international feature. Excitement around the awards has prompted TV Globo, Brazil’s largest network, to resume live coverage of the ceremony after a five-year hiatus. It will forgo the nationwide airing of high-ratings Carnival parades, instead broadcasting the Oscars everywhere except Rio.

▶ Read more about why Brazil cares about the Oscars this year

How have the wildfires altered the show?

The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.

The fires will be addressed during the show both directly and in its themes, and viewers will be able to make donations.

“There’s been so many people that have been touched by this devastation,” Raj Kapoor, the show’s executive producer and showrunner, said Wednesday. “There’s been so much outreach, and we really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in.”

For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. Host Conan O’Brien’s Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O’Brien’s assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.

“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”

Who’s hosting the Oscars?

Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time.

“I never have been invited to the Oscars,” the late-night host-turned-podcaster and occasional movie star said at a news conference Wednesday. “I only hosted so that I could be invited.”

O’Brien said he would not hesitate to talk about the nation’s fraught political situation.

“I cannot ignore the moment we’re in,” he said. “But I also have to remember it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity.”

He said compared to all the other things he’s done, hosting the Oscars is like “for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari.

“I’d like to keep the tuxedo,” he said. “They made me an absolutely beautiful tuxedo. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life.”