After delays, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures hopes to open in 2020.
When the new Academy of Motion Pictures Museum was announced in 2012, the initial opening date was set for 2017 with a budget of $250 million. Now, that cost has soared to $338 million with no projected opening date, although in a statement in June a rep for the museum said, “[W]e are weighing the overall schedule for major industry events in 2020, and on this basis will choose the optimal moment for our official opening.”
But, to seemingly keep the ball rolling, the Academy has announced the addition of seven new trustees, including Laura Dern, David Dolby, Sidonie Seydoux Dumas, Mark Johnson, Miky Lee, Katherine Oliver, and David Rubin. The governing body of the Academy Museum, the Board of Trustees oversees the organization’s strategic vision, maintains its financial health, and ensures the institution fulfills its mission to create the best possible motion picture museum for film lovers across the world.
The new facility, when completed, will encompass a 300,000 square foot campus over six stories. Renovating a 1939 Los Angeles landmark, the historic Saban Building—formerly known as the May Company building, Building on the Miracle Mile in the Wilshire district, the new spherical structure which will include a 1,500-panel glass dome, will also feature two state-of-the-art theaters, a long-term exhibit on moviemaking, dramatic rotating galleries, project spaces, fine dining and casual restaurants, and an open-air terraced with views of the Hollywood Hills.
About the new trustees, Ron Meyer, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Academy Museum and Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal said, “It is an honor to welcome this remarkable group of leaders, who contribute so much to their own industries, to the Board of Trustees. Their expertise and commitment will help our board effectively steer the museum toward its 2020 opening.”
Bill Kramer, who will be joining the Academy Museum as Director on January 1, 2020, said, “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Museum at this moment of tremendous progress—the buildings are close to completion, our exhibitions program is moving forward beautifully, and we have recently announced important new additions to our collection. The Museum is thrilled to welcome this esteemed group of global film and business leaders, who will help us drive this momentum forward.”
The new trustees join existing board members Ron Meyer, Chair; Ted Sarandos, Vice Chair; Kimberly Steward, Secretary; Jason Blum, Treasurer; Jim Gianopulos; Tom Hanks; Dawn Hudson; Alejandro Ramírez Magaña, Dominic Ng, Emma Thomas, Diane von Furstenberg, and Kevin Yeaman.
In addition to Dern, an actor with two Oscar® nominations and who has garnered four Golden Globe Award®- wins, new members have a wide range of industry credentials.
Dolby operates Dolby Family Ventures, a San Francisco family office focused on investments in technology, neuroscience, media, and real estate.
Vice Chairwoman and CEO of Gaumont, Seydoux Dumas helms the film studio and has expanded its footprint in the U.S. with the launch of a thriving Los Angeles-based TV division.
Johnson is an American film and television producer having completed such films as Donnie Brasco, The Notebook, Galaxy Quest, Logan Lucky, and Downsizing. He also currently serves as the Treasurer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
As vice chairwoman of CJ Group, Miky Lee (Mie Kyung Lee) is mainly responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of CJ Group’s entertainment and media division. Lee is also one of the founding investors in DreamWorks SKG.
A media and entertainment executive based in New York City, Oliver is currently a Principal at Bloomberg Associates, an international philanthropic consultancy firm founded by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Elected in August 2019 as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, David Rubin is a casting director with more than 100 film and television credits, he has cast such features as The English Patient, Men in Black, Hairspray, Lars and the Real Girl, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Get Shorty, My Best Friend’s Wedding, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
The new facility is designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano.
For more about the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, please visit this site.
