Groundhog Day cinematographer elected as Film Academy President in surprise twist

Laura Dern was a frontrunner, though the Oscar-nominated actor eventually decided not to run

Cinematographer John Bailey has been elected as the 36th president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organisation behind the Oscars.

Variety reports Bailey's win as a major surprise; casting director David Rubin and filmmaker Rory Kennedy had also been strong candidates, and Laura Dern was originally the preferred choice, though she reportedly proposed a co-presidency before choosing not to run due to other commitments.

Bailey, 74, is certainly a Hollywood veteran, however; his career has seen him work on the likes of Ordinary People, American Gigolo, The Big Chill, Groundhog Day, and As Good as it Gets.

He will succeed former president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who has served the maximum four-year term in the role, but has used the time wisely; she oversaw the dramatic shifts in the Academy's demographical makeup in an effort to better reflect diversity in the industry.

Indeed, many Academy members were hoping for the election of another woman or person of colour to follow Isaacs, who was only the third woman ever elected (after Bette Davis and Fay Kanin) and first person of colour.

LucasFilm's Kathleen Kennedy was also elected to the 54-member panel as the chair of the Museum Committee. One of the Academy's major concerns at the moment is the construction of the Academy Museum in the heart of LA, scheduled to open in 2019 and set to display some of the organisation's vast collection of film materials.