(CNN) Film's biggest night is being rescheduled for the first time in 40 years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday that the 93rd Oscars will no longer take place on February 28 as planned. "For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone's control," said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in a joint statement.