Paula Wagner will produce the fifth annual Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday.
The event will honor Angelina Jolie with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work on behalf of humanitarian and social justice efforts.
Honorary Oscars also will be presented to Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin and costume designer Piero Tosi for their varied contributions to the craft of cinema. The event will take place on Nov. 16, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center.
Also read: Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Piero Tosi Receive Academy’s Governors Awards
Wagner offers a boatload of production experience on both stage and screen. A longtime collaborator of Tom Cruise, she has produced or executive-produced more than 20 feature films, including the first three “Mission: Impossible” films, “Vanilla Sky,” “The Others” and “The Last Samurai.” Her Broadway credits include “The Heiress” and “Grace.”
After beginning her career as an actress and then becoming a talent agent at CAA, she went on to co-found Cruise/Wagner Productions and serve as CEO for United Artists. She now continues to independently produce film and theater through her company Chestnut Ridge Productions.
The awarding of the honorary Oscars is no longer televised as part of the Academy broadcast in March. That allows the celebration to be looser and more free-wheeling; a change some members have seen as an improvement.
More to come…