2026 Oscars Under FBI Security Alert as KPop Demon Hunters' "Golden" Heads to the Dolby Theatre Stage

Sunday's 98th Academy Awards will go ahead at the Dolby Theatre under the heaviest security in the ceremony's recent history, after the FBI circulated a memo warning California law enforcement of a possible Iranian drone attack on the West Coast.

The unverified intelligence, first reported by ABC News, indicated that as of early February, Iran had allegedly been considering a surprise drone strike launched from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. coast, contingent on American military action against the country. That threshold was crossed on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury - killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dismantling significant portions of the country's military and nuclear infrastructure. Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases across West Asia and targets in Israel.

The FBI was explicit that the tip was unverified, with no known timing, method, or target. Governor Gavin Newsom said on social media he was in constant contact with intelligence officials and was "not aware of any imminent threats." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it was operating at an "elevated level of readiness." Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan addressed security at a Wednesday press conference without commenting directly on the memo. "We have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it's a close collaboration," Kapoor said. Insiders told Variety that additional security would be present but deliberately low-profile.

"Golden" Takes the Oscars Stage

For Korean fans, the more anticipated moment Sunday may have nothing to do with drones. Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters arrives at the ceremony as the dominant frontrunner in two categories - Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song - and its performers are set to deliver what may be the night's most talked-about musical number.

EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the real-life singers behind the film's fictional K-pop trio HUNTR/X, will perform "Golden" live on the Dolby Theatre stage. Producers say the set will open with traditional Korean instruments and dance, grounding the performance in the Korean folklore and mythology that shaped the film's world.

The film, co-directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced with Sony Pictures Animation, has logged over 500 million Netflix views since its June 2025 release - making it the platform's most-watched title of all time. "Golden" became the first K-pop song to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, spent a record 20 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Global 200, and won Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards - the first Grammy ever won by a K-pop track.

KPop Demon Hunters has swept every major precursor: Best Animated Feature at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, and a clean sweep at the Annie Awards. It enters Sunday as an overwhelming favorite.

Panahi's Dissident Cinema on Hollywood's Biggest Stage

One of the evening's more quietly charged moments will come from Iranian director Jafar Panahi, nominated in two categories - Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay - for It Was Just an Accident, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

The thriller follows a group of former political prisoners who encounter the man they believe tortured them in a Tehran jail. The production was shot covertly inside Iran; authorities shut it down for a month before failing to confiscate the footage. Because Panahi's outspoken opposition to the Islamic Republic barred the film from representing Iran officially, France - which co-produced it - submitted it as its own entry.

Panahi has been imprisoned, banned from filmmaking, and banned from leaving Iran at various points in his career. His presence at Sunday's ceremony, as the regime he has spent his life documenting stands accused of planning a drone attack on the same city, adds a dimension to the evening no acceptance speech is likely to fully address.

The 98th Academy Awards air live Sunday, March 15, on ABC and Hulu, beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.