Oscar producers share their thoughts on the big night

It’s almost showtime for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. The Oscars air live Sunday on ABC, and the producers are putting the final touches on the show.

At a news conference Wednesday, executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor said “connection” is the theme of the night.

“I want them to feel connected to some of the films. I want them to feel connected to some of the performances, and to all these human stories that we’re telling throughout the evening,” he explains.

This year’s ceremony marks the fourth go-round for executive producer Molly McNearney and her host/husband Jimmy Kimmel, which she said makes Jimmy “more and more comfortable,” while she’s “more and more nervous.”

“It’s kind of our dynamic. I think that Jimmy just has really become very relaxed as a host,” she shared. “He knows the room really well. He has a lot of respect for the room and likes to have fun with them.”

“He will obsess now over every joke,” she adds. “He has a rough outline of the monologue that I read this morning that I think is brilliant. I know it will change six more times before Sunday.”

As for McNearney, she’s focused on making sure everyone in the room feels comfortable.

“I think some of the best moments in these shows are the acceptance speeches,” she says. “Last year I cried at almost every one of them, and I think that making people feel like … we’re all celebrating each other [allows] people to be themselves and be authentic onstage.”

“Everybody loves reunions, so there might be some of those,” notes executive producer Katy Mullan. “Movies are so nostalgic and there’s so much history making around the Oscars. So there’ll be moments of that … and then some surprise cameos, as well.”