Rob Reiner was a film industry legend, so many fans are anticipating a special tribute to the late filmmaker and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, at the 2026 Oscars.
Rob is expected to be honored at the Sunday, March 15, awards show with a segment led by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, who costarred in the famed director’s 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, according to Variety.
The Oscars tribute will come almost exactly three months after Rob and Michele were found dead with multiple stab wounds in their Brentwood, California, home in December 2025. The couple’s son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with his parents’ deaths. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail while he awaits trial.
Keep scrolling to see everything to know about the Oscars tribute:
Variety reported in early March 2026 that Oscars producers are making a significant change to this year’s In Memoriam segment, where the awards show pays tribute to the actors and other industry professionals who died in the past year.
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are set to reunite for a tribute to Rob Reiner, along with other stars of his movies, according to the outlet. Sources shared that Crystal will discuss his friendship with Reiner at the ceremony.
Crystal was among the stars who released a joint statement about Rob’s death last year.
“Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller,” read the statement, which was also shared by Larry David, Martin Short and Albert Brooks. “There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
The statement added of Rob and his wife, “We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
Oscars executive producers Katy Mullan and Raj Kapoor addressed their plans for the In Memoriam segment during a press conference on March 11.
“It has been a really, really tough year this year, so the In Memoriam has been something we’ve been talking about for many, many months,” Mullan said. “We’ve lost a huge amount of people this year who are so meaningful to so many in the film community. We take it really, really seriously. We have been have many, many discussions. … It continues to change right up until rehearsal, because we want to get the strike, the balance, just right and make sure that it feels like the right moment in the show for the moment in time. So I guess we can’t really go into detail of what it’s going to be this year, but we really hope that it is a tribute that moves people and feels like it does the incredible people we’ve lost this year justice.”
When asked about the tribute to the Reiners, Kapoor said, “I don’t feel like we’re at a place where we want to share what exactly what we’re doing for In Memoriam. All I can say is that a lot of time and thought has been put into the process of creating something really meaningful that has a lot of emotion and heart.”
2026 Oscars Host Conan O’Brien Teases Rob Reiner TributeConan O’Brien, who is hosting the Oscars for the second year in a row and was a close friend of Rob and Michele Reiner, told Extra ahead of the ceremony that the tribute to the couple will be a “very powerful” part of the show.
Corey Feldman, who starred in Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming-of-age movie Stand By Me, claimed that he was snubbed by the Oscars regarding the tribute to the director. He suggested that former costars Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton were asked to participate in the segment, while he allegedly was not.
“I just want to briefly mention this Oscars thing! Yes, it’s true that I was not invited,” Feldman wrote via X. “I understand many believe it’s due to being outspoken about the abuse I suffered as a child and the campaign to silence me. However, this isn’t about me. It’s not my moment at all. It’s about the tragic loss of our friend Rob Reiner and his memory.”
Feldman continued, “As much I appreciate all support, it’s very sweet of you … but please stop. Please take down any petitions to push for my presence at the awards. They don’t need me there. Will and Jerry got this, I’m sure. They will do a fantastic job … I’ll honor Rob my own way.”
Us Weekly reached out to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for comment.
