Oscar Countdown 2002 Begins

HOLLYWOOD, CA–With just 50 weeks to go before the big event, the buzz surrounding the 2002 Academy Awards is beginning to build. “Will Tom Hanks turn in a performance that completes his Oscar hat trick? Will Pearl Harbor be the night’s big winner, assuming it’s a film of artistic merit?” Rebecca Ascher-Walsh wrote in Entertainment Weekly’s “Oscar ’02 Preview!” double issue, which hit newsstands Tuesday. “These are some of the questions sure to be answered in just 341 days.” Ascher-Walsh said Entertainment Weekly will run exclusive photos of the Versace gown to be worn by the radiant newcomer who will nab a Best Actress nomination for her surprise, star-making turn “the very moment” she becomes known.