Scott Derrickson, director of Sinister and The Black Phone, has issued a powerful public rebuke of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its decision to exclude actor James Ransone from the 2026 Oscars’ televised “In Memoriam” segment. Ransone, a revered character actor who died by suicide in December 2025 at age 46, was featured on the Oscars’ website but not in the broadcast tribute, a snub that has sparked significant industry and fan backlash.
A Director’s Personal Tribute and Public Accusation
The controversy began when Scott Derrickson took to social media platform X on March 17, 2026. He shared a photo of Ransone and wrote a heartfelt message directly addressing the Oscars’ omission: “The Oscars In Memoriam ignored him but I cannot. He was my friend. I put him in five films.”
Derrickson’s post details the profound personal loss, revealing he buried Ransone in early January. He painted a picture of a complex individual: “He was a complex, funny, talented, and undeniably reckless person. He was wildly alive and deeply loved.” Significantly, Derrickson addressed Ransone’s sometimes-controversial online presence, noting a moment of remorse before his death: “The last time I saw him, he cried with regret for all of that. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings,’ he said.” The director concluded by asking for respectful mourning: “Please don’t trash him here. He is dearly missed.”
The Oscars’ Selection Process and Its Fallout
The Academy’s approach to the “In Memoriam” segment is governed by a committee. According to a source with direct knowledge TMZ reported, an executive committee representing every branch reviews a submitted list of industry members who died over the past year and recommends who should be shown during the telecast based on the show’s runtime. All submissions, however, are shared on the Oscars official website and remain there for a year—a fact that offers little solace to those feeling a broadcast omission is a more significant slight.
Ransone’s absence from the March 15 broadcast was not an isolated incident. The segment faced immediate and widespread criticism for also omitting stars like James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane, among others. The backlash highlights a persistent tension between the Academy’s need for a time-limited, curated tribute and a public expectation for a more comprehensive acknowledgment of loss.
James Ransone: A Legacy Beyond the Omission
To understand the depth of this snub, one must contextualize Ransone’s career. He was a quintessential working actor whose talent shone in both independent and major studio films. His collaboration with Derrickson was particularly notable, spanning five films including the horror hits Sinister and The Black Phone, as well as The Black Phone 2, which was in production at the time of his death. His other prominent roles included Ziggy Sobotka on HBO’s The Wire and a key part in It: Chapter Two.
Credit: Summit Entertainment
Fan Fury and the Community Response
The fan reaction was swift and vocal. Social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), became a forum for disbelief and anger. One fan response to Van Der Beek’s omission captured the sentiment: “James Van Der Beek not getting mentioned in the Oscars In Memoriam reel should be a crime.” Another directly questioned the academy’s judgment: “No Eric Dane or James Van Der Beek tribute???? Huh???” These reactions underscore how the televised segment holds a unique cultural weight, and its exclusions are perceived as erasures of beloved figures.
This incident is part of a recurring pattern where the Oscars’ In Memoriam becomes a story itself for its omissions, raising questions about transparency and the criteria for “cultural impact” versus a simple career tally. Ransone’s case is particularly poignant given the manner of his death and the intimate advocacy of a close collaborator.
Why This Matters: Authority vs. Authority
This is more than a single director’s complaint. It’s a clash between two forms of authority: the institutional authority of the Academy, which curates a historical record under logistical constraints, and the personal, artistic authority of filmmakers like Derrickson who speak to an actor’s true value and collaborative essence. Derrickson’s testimony—”I put him in five films”—is a powerful metric of worth that competes directly with the Academy’s committee decisions.
The episode forces a necessary conversation about how the industry memorializes its own. Is a website listing sufficient? Does a televised moment hold a different emotional and historical currency? For fans and colleagues, the broadcast omission feels like a denial of communal grief and a misranking of who “matters.” Ransone’s legacy, championed by his director, argues for the profound importance of the indispensable supporting actor—a role he mastered.
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