Each year, the Academy Awards are a closely guarded affair, with producers taking a wait-until-you-see-it approach to movies' biggest night.
That's especially true with the 88th Oscars telecast on Feb. 28 (ABC, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT).
After the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, ignited after no actors of color were nominated for the second year in a row, producers have kept the actual program details to a mere trickle.
However, some aspects are clear. Here's a rundown:
Chris Rock is ready to host
In light of the controversy, Rock has kept a lower profile than most recent Oscar hosts, opting to let his hosting duties speak for themselves when he hits the stage next Sunday.
When Oscar producer Reginald Hudlin suggested that Rock had changed his monologue and was "writing a new show" to specifically address the #OscarsSoWhite situation, Rock publicly replied that he would not comment on what he was doing.
"All will be revealed on February 28th," he said in a statement.
In lieu of dropping hints about his plans, Rock has released occasional short promotional spots on social media, including one in which he dubbed the Oscars "the white BET Awards."
The presenter list is diverse
While a lack of diversity is clear through the nominations, the film academy has made strides to inject diversity into the Oscar telecast in the form of presenters.
The slate includes talent who missed out on nominations, such as Beasts of No Nation star Abraham Attah and Creed's Michael B. Jordan. Other presenters include Priyanka Chopra, Common, Benicio del Toro, Louis Gossett Jr., Kevin Hart, Quincy Jones, Byung-hun Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, Dev Patel, Kerry Washington, The Weeknd, Sofia Vergara and Pharrell Williams.
Also scheduled to appear are Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt, Louis C.K., Steve Carell, Russell Crowe, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Ryan Gosling, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Rachel McAdams, Julianne Moore, Olivia Munn, Eddie Redmayne, Margot Robbie, Jason Segel, Andy Serkis, Sarah Silverman, J.K. Simmons, Sam Smith, Charlize Theron, Jacob Tremblay and Reese Witherspoon.
While Star Wars: The Force Awakens missed out on many major categories, director J.J. Abrams and star Daisy Ridley will present awards.
Gaga about nominated songs
Oscar-nominated songs will have their time onstage, which means Lady Gaga will perform her 'Til It Happens to You from the documentary The Hunting Ground, The Weeknd will make the case for Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey and Sam Smith will sing Writing’s On the Wall from Spectre.
Rocker Dave Grohl will also perform a musical number, the specifics of which the academy is keeping mum.
Scrolling with my homies
One of the most noticeable changes for home viewers will be the Oscar thank-you scroll at the bottom of the screen. This is a new addition from producers Hudlin and David Hill intended to keep the winners' speeches shorter and more emotional.
The idea: Rather than having winners read off long lists of agents and managers, these names will scroll across the bottom of the screen following a victory.
Those thanked in the scroll will have now "a permanent record of gratitude," Hill said and screen grabs can be "framed and kept in the family forever."
Bling-bling on Oscars stage
Rock will step onto a stage featuring 200,000 Swarovski crystals, including one massive piece that weighs more than 20,000 pounds. The whole bling-filled stage will feature seven different shades of gold and required about 1,600 hours of work.
"The Oscars is a show that people look forward to seeing Hollywood glamour," says Derek McLane, who returned as scenic and production designer for the fourth year in a row.
