Will Packer was named to produce the 94th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.

Award shows have been struggling because traditional star-studded gatherings have been prevented by the pandemic. The Oscars — historically one of most-viewed shows of the year other than football — have been particularly hard hit because movie openings have been delayed until people can go to the theaters safely.

This year’s Oscars telecast on ABC drew 10.4 million people, down 56% from the previous year.

“Will is a powerhouse producer who has enjoyed success across all movie genres. He’s already bringing a boundless energy and a focus on innovation to this year’s Oscars to entertain the widest spectrum of fans,“ Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement. “Many wonderful surprises ahead!” 

“There is no one better than Will Packer to celebrate our collective love for cinema,” added Craig Erwich, president, Hulu originals and ABC Entertainment. “Will is a world-class hitmaker and the ideal producer to capture the prestige of ‘The Oscars’ and deliver a powerful and moving event.”

The Oscars have also been working on diversity and inclusion since the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite trended in 2015.

“The power, the beauty, the romance of the imagery in movies has always attracted me,“ Packer said. ”I’m fully embracing the challenge of bringing an ode to one of the most iconic mediums in the world to life. What an honor!” 

Packer’s television shows include That Girl Lay Lay, Being Mary Jane, Uncle Buck and the remake of Roots. He produced and executive produced such films as The Photograph, What Men Want, Girls Trip, Straight Outta Compton, Ride Along, Think Like a Man, Obsessed and Stomp the Yard.

Shayla Cowan, chief of staff of Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media, will serve as co-producer alongside Packer. 

The 94th Oscars will be held March 27 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. ABC will broadcast the event, which will be televised in more than 200 territories worldwide.

This year’s Oscars were produced by television producer Jesse Collins, film producer Stacey Sher and director Steven Soderbergh.

NBCUniversal, along with sponsor Target, will be spotlighting Black filmmakers during its Summer Movie Nights and showing their work on its other platforms.

The commercial loads during movies on NBCU cable networks Bravo, Syfy and USA are being cut by 25 to 35 minutes, creating a platform for shorts from the Scene in Color Film Series.

NBCU and Target worked with producer Will Packer to identify three artists and films to feature as part of the Scene in Color Film Series.

NBCU will be providing blind script deals for all three emerging filmmakers with the opportunity to work with NBCU executives to develop a TV pilot script. Packer will also serve as a mentor to the filmmakers, supported by a grant from Target.

The program starts Thursday with White House Down on Syfy. 

Featured in the Scene in Color Film Series are Chicago filmmaker Addison Wright, who spotlights Black ballerinas who are blending hip-hop with classical pointe in Hiplet: Because We Can; activist and filmmaker Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah shows Black women there is room for them in the media industry with her visual poem To The Girl That Looks Like Me; and Brooklyn-based Kristian King’s Twice as Good tells the story of an over-achiever readying to chart her own path. 

“We know that in order to change the industry, we must start from within,” said Miguel Rodriguez, senior VP, production operations, creative partnerships, advertising & partnerships, NBCUniversal and Steven Rummer, senior VP, strategy and creative partnerships, advertising & partnerships, NBCUniversal, in a blog post about the program.

“That’s why NBCUniversal has doubled down on its commitment to hire and retain diverse talent, from the decision-makers casting our shows, to the people yelling ‘cut,’ to the costumers and makeup artists and set designers that bring our stories to life. Because when people from all backgrounds, experiences, and cultures bring their own stories to the ones we’re telling onscreen—that’s how we create content that truly resonates,” they said.

Docu-style custom content where the filmmakers discuss their stories will appear across the summer on the three cable networks, while the films are featured on NBCU’s digital properties including Peacock, the NBC One app, Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango Movieclips.

Target will have consistent branding throughout the movie nights via branded elements such as open bumpers and snipes, across all custom content.

“Inclusivity is core to the Target brand, and partnering with NBCU to share the stories of the Scene in Color Film Series broadly and boldly helps create a more equitable and representative creative landscape,” said Maurice Cooper, senior VP of marketing at Target. “We need the voices of these emerging creators now more than ever, and are proud to invest in their continued mentorship, development, and ingenuity.”

BET+ has renewed its comedy series Bigger for a sophomore campaign, the streaming service said. 

The  series, which launched its first season on BET+ this past September, follows five close knit African-American friends as they navigate love, friendships, career ambitions, and the journey to getting "bigger" together, according to the streaming service. The series stars Rasheda Crockett, Chase Anthony, Tristen Winger, Tanisha Long, and Angell Conwell.

Bigger was created by Felischa Marye and is executive produced by Will Packer. 

“We are excited and proud to bring the Bigger squad back for another run.  Will and Felischa have been tremendous partners and we can’t wait to dive deeper into the hilarious and complicated lives of Layne and her group of friends,” said Devin Griffin, general manager, BET+ in a statement. “Our commitment to premium content continues with this series. Fans embraced the show because it’s real and fresh, and provides a new way for Black viewers to see themselves in original Black stories on screen.”

Investigation Discovery has teamed with producer Will Packer for a new special, The Atlanta Child Murders, premiering March 23.

The special follows the murders of 29 children in Atlanta in the early 1980s and the investigation that surrounded the case, said network officials. The special looks at the case and whether sinister elements were at play in the heart of the South.

“This case remains one of our countries’ most perplexing mysteries, and at ID we are proud to shine a light on every angle of this largely forgotten story,” says Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel, and Destination America in a statement. “Will Packer’s vision to revisit this national tragedy through the never-before heard perspective of the victims’ families brings home the true devastation of these cases.”

In other Discovery Networks news, Travel Channel will bring back series America Unearthed featuring forensic geologist Scott Wolter. Travel Channel has acquired the previous three seasons comprising 39 episodes, and will premiere a fourth season of the series -- which formerly aired on H2 -- with 10 new one-hour episodes this summer, according to the network. The network has also greenlit paranormal series Portals To Hell, in which television personality Jack Osbourne and paranormal researcher and investigator Katrina Weidman investigate haunted houses in search of irrefutable evidence that a spirit world exists, said the network. 

--TLC will bring back Kate Gosslin (Kate Plus 8) for a new series dubbed Kate Plus Date, debuting June 2019. The well-known mother of multiple children will hit the dating scene in the new series, according to network officials.

“Kate has been such a big part of the TLC family, and we are ecstatic that she is letting us follow along as she starts this new journey,” said TLC President and General Manager Howard Lee. “Viewers know Kate as the multi-tasking mother of multiples. Now, in Kate Plus Date they will see a whole new side of her, as she looks to find that special someone to share in her next chapter.”