Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty
Next week, the Academy will be announcing the 2018 list of new members invited to join the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles Lakers legend and Oscar winner Kobe Bryant didn’t make the cut. While winning an Oscar automatically allows a person to be considered for entry into the Academy, it does not guarantee a spot.
There are a few reasons why the Academy may have denied Bryant. According to TMZ Sports, one piece of criteria board voters look for in a producer is that they “have the equivalent of two producer screen credits and perform the majority of the functions of a producer on theatrical feature films of the caliber which in the opinion of the executive committee reflect the high standards of the Academy.”
Another reason why it may not have worked was because of the #MeToo movement and Bryant’s fifteen-year-old accusations of sexual assault. While his accuser refused to testify and the case was dropped, the accuser filed a separate civil suit and Bryant settled it with an apology but without an admission of guilt.
But there’s no reason why Kobe can’t go for another try next year. He’s already working on his next film projects through his company, Kobe Inc., so he might be able to score an invite in any of the years to come.
