Messi's dog on the red carpet of the 2024 Oscar nomination party - Photo: GETTY IMAGES
In just a few hours, the Oscars - the most prestigious film awards on the planet - will announce the best actors and filmmakers of 2023.
As the Oscar atmosphere heats up by the hour, the global film community suddenly received "bad news" about the absence of an actor appearing in an Oscar-nominated film.
Messi's dog banned from attending Oscar 2024 because it's too cute?
Messi - the Border Collie in the movie Anatomy of a Fall - was unexpectedly announced to not be able to attend the 2024 Oscars.
Messi banned from attending Oscars for being too cute
Although the academy refused to reveal the reason, a source from Neon Films (a unit specializing in distributing art films, producer of Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall ...) shared with the press that the appearance of Messi the dog at the reception for Oscar-nominated actors and filmmakers in February 2024 attracted too much attention.
Specifically at the party, the dog won the hearts of many Hollywood stars such as Billie Eilish, Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper... as well as many others, including members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Actress and director Olivia Wilde enjoyed taking photos with Messi - Photo: GETTY IMAGES
According to The Hollywood Reporter , many film distributors are uncomfortable with Messi's appearance.
The incident has raised concerns that the dog's cuteness will create an unfair competitive environment, as votes to decide the winner at the Oscars are being considered by committee members.
This true-to-life story originated from Messi's role as the dog Snoop in Anatomy of a Fall, which accidentally created a fever from the Cannes Film Festival until now.
The film Anatomy of a Fall itself won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and has five nominations at the 2024 Oscars, including Best Picture, partly thanks to Messi's performance alongside actress Sandra Huller (nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress).
Messi the dog shows off his acting skills in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter - Video: The Hollywood Reporter
Since then, Messi the dog has always participated in film promotion campaigns with the crew and has been "ordered" to meet by countless French and American journalists and reporters.
The Guardians even joked that Messi had risen straight to "A-list star" status after just one role.
According to the dog's trainer and owner - Ms. Laura Martin, the dog Messi was named after the famous football player Lionel Messi, this name was given to the dog by her two sons because they are big fans of the Argentine football player.
She also shared that the training process for Messi for his role in Anatomy of a Fall only took 2 months.
Uggie the dog with the Oscar from the movie The Artist - Photo: The Telegraph
It is known that Messi is the only rare case not to attend the Oscars.
In history, there have been several times when "four-legged actors" were allowed to attend, even stand on the Oscar podium with the crew, such as the case of Uggie the dog - an actor in the movie The Artist .
It's understandable to feel sad about the adorable actor's absence, but many veterinarians have also advised that not attending is good for Messi's dog's health.
This is because dogs are very sensitive to noise and are often uncomfortable in crowded places like the Oscars.
Messi also has an academy award
Even though there is no Oscar, Messi the dog still won an unofficial award reserved for four-legged actors - Palm Dog.
Messi's dog receives Palm Dog award 2023 - Photo: REUTERS
The Palm Dog Award is an annual side prize presented by the international film critics at the Cannes Film Festival for the best performance by a dog (real or animated) or a team of dogs.
The prize consists of a leather dog collar with the word Palm Dog. The prize's name is a play on the word Palme d'Or (the Palme d'Or - the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival).
The 96th Academy Awards will be held at 6am on March 11 (Vietnam time). The red carpet will take place a few hours before.
This year's Oscars are so predictableSource
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