The Grammys might be postponed this year, but the Oscars are full steam ahead and will even have a host for the first time in four years. Craig Erwish, president of Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, shared the exciting news Tuesday during ABC’s portion of the Television Critics Association virtual press tour. “You heard it here first. I can confirm that this year‘s Oscars will have a host,” he announced. As for who the host is? Nothing is confirmed, but Tom Holland seems to be in the running.
© GettyImagesErwish was tight-lipped on the host, joking that he could be the person on stage. But The Hollywood Reporter revealed Tuesday that the Academy reached out to Holland to “explore the opportunity,” after he expressed interest. Holland had an interview withThe Holywood Reporter where he said he was too busy to think about hosting the Oscars.
However, he quickly backtracked on his response. The Spider-Man: No Way Home star said he would be a f***ing idiot not to host them if they asked.“Of course, I would host the f**king Oscars!’ I just went to the bathroom and I was looking at myself in the mirror and I was like, ‘What kind of f***king idiot wouldn’t host the Oscars,’” he said. “So yeah, if they ask me to, I would, and it would be very fun. I would really enjoy it,” the 25-year-old added.
The last person to host the prestigious awards was Jimmy Kimmel in 2018. It was his second year in a row hosting, but he still made a rookie mistake infamously announcing the Best Picture winner as “La La Land,” when it was really “Moonlight.”
Kevin Hart was set to follow Kimmel in 2019, but old homophobic tweets resurfaced on Twitter right after the announcement, and he received backlash. The comedian was defensive before publicly stepping down from his role as host. “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year‘s Oscar’s....this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” he wrote on social media. Hart was not replaced, and there hasn‘t been a host since.
The Oscars are happening on March 27, 2022, and ABC said in a statement it will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Nominations will be announced on February 8th.
