CNN and Variety to Host Oscar Red Carpet Pre-Show

Mar 10, 2026 7:00am PT After Viral Timothée Chalamet Town Hall, CNN and Variety to Partner Again on Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show By Rebecca Rubin Plus Icon Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter rebeccaarubin Latest 5 Reasons ‘The Bride!’ Was Dead on Arrival at the Box Office 2 days ago Box Office: ‘Hoppers’ Powers to $88 Million Globally, ‘The Bride!’ Flatlines With $13 Million Worldwide 2 days ago Box Office: ‘The Bride!’ Bombs With $7 Million Opening Weekend, Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ Scores $46 Million Debut 2 days ago See All After Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey’s viral town hall, CNN and Variety are teaming up again to give audiences a front-row seat to one of Hollywood’s biggest nights. CNN and Variety will host an Oscars red carpet pre-show, which will air live on March 15 on CNN and stream for subscribers on CNN’s digital platform. This marks CNN’s return to the red carpet of the Academy Awards for the first time in nearly a decade. Related Stories Anne Hathaway Was 'Fully in Character' on 'The Odyssey Set,' Even When the Camera 'Wouldn't See Her for Three Days': 'You Never Stop Working' Christopher Nolan Pays Tribute to Imax’s David Keighley, Pioneer of Large-Format Cinema, at the Kodak Film Awards Beginning at 4 p.m. E.T., CNN’s correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety’s co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh will be live from the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as they interview the evening’s buzziest nominees and stars. Once the ceremony ends, Wagmeister and Setoodeh will be joined by media personality Van Lathan for a live after-show, where they’ll host special guests to unpack the major snubs and surprises and other standout moments. Popular on Variety In addition, during the red carpet Oscars pre-show, CNN contributor Cari Champion will host a conversation with CNN Style’s Rachel Tashjian and Women’s Wear Daily style director Alex Badia from New York City in a newly created CNN Style Spin Room. They will comment on the fashion, emerging trends and their favorite looks on the red carpet. “After ‘Actors on Actors’ and our town hall with Timothée Chalamet, Variety is excited to once again partner with CNN — this time, bringing together a dream team of journalists to cover the Academy Awards,” said Setoodeh. “This will be a must-watch night of programming for movie fans in search of elevated interviews and analysis about the Oscars.”  “Our collaboration with Variety continues to expand how we bring audiences inside the entertainment industry’s most significant moments,” said Amy Entelis, executive VP of talent & content development at CNN Worldwide. “Returning to the Oscars red carpet together allows us to combine CNN’s global reach with Variety’s deep industry insight for live coverage of Hollywood’s biggest night.”  Setting the stage for the telecast, CNN will also broadcast its latest CNN FlashDoc titled “Hollywood and the Oscars: Still Golden?” on March 14 at 10 p.m. E.T. and available on All Access.  CNN & Variety Red Carpet Live continues the ongoing content partnership between the two brands. Under the collaboration, CNN and Variety hosted a Town Hall event with Chalamet and McConaughey, as well as the latest “Actors on Actors” season with conversations between Ariana Grande and Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts and Sean Penn, and more. All episodes are available to stream now for CNN subscribers.  Jump to Comments Queer Media Veteran David Artavia Named Executive Director of LGBTQ Youth Arts Initiative The Future Perfect Project (EXCLUSIVE) Oscars 2026: The Ultimate Party Guide With Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Madonna, Dua Lipa, Teyana Taylor and More Barbra Streisand in Talks for Oscars Performance to Honor Robert Redford Lisa Rinna on Where She Stands With Colton Underwood After ‘The Traitors’ Reunion Drama WBD Southern Europe Chief on Milan Cortina Olympics Driving HBO Max in Europe, Where Games Overlap With ‘Heated Rivalry’ Launch: ‘The Best Premium Content We Can Offer’ Jennifer Hudson on the End of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’: ‘I Wish Her the Absolute Best’ JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...