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Brad Pitt, Zendaya, Renee Zellweger head up all-star 'cast' list for Oscars show

Even with a pandemic going on, the ensemble of all-star presenters at the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards is looking rather, well, Oscar-worthy.

The Academy announced Monday that an array of past winners including Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Rita Moreno, Marlee Matlin, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix and "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho are part of the first wave of A-listers who will appear as part of ABC's the Oscars ceremony on April 25 (ABC, 8 ET/5 PT). Joining them will be Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Harrison Ford, Regina King and Zendaya, with additional talent to be named later.

“In keeping with our awards-show-as-a-movie approach, we’ve assembled a truly stellar cast of stars,” Oscar show producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh said in a statement. “There’s so much wattage here, sunglasses may be required.”

Academy Awards show: Nominees, guests will qualify as essential workers to attend Oscars

Brad Pitt won an Oscar at last year's Academy Awards and will be a presenter at this year's 93rd Oscars show on April 25.
Brad Pitt won an Oscar at last year's Academy Awards and will be a presenter at this year's 93rd Oscars show on April 25.

This year's Oscars will primarily be held at Los Angeles' historic Union Station, with additional events at the show's traditional home, the Dolby Theatre. To keep attendees – limited to nominees, their guests and presenters – safe, producers are treating the "event as an active movie set," including an on-site COVID safety team with PCR testing capability.

Those involved with the production will qualify for the essential work purpose waiver, allowing them to travel to and from the testing center, rehearsals, and other Academy-organized activities during the lead-up to the awards show.

But before they get there, each nominee and guest must have a minimum of two COVID-19 PCR tests performed by the Academy’s vendor and a total ofthree tests in the week leading up to the Oscars. They'll also be required to present a travel and quarantine plan to the Academy for approval.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscars: Brad Pitt, Renee Zellweger lead all-star Academy Awards show