Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are already whining and wine-ing about the 94th Academy Awards. The trio of funny ladies are hosting the 2022 Oscars on March 27 and the Academy released the first promo for the show on Wednesday. Schumer, Sykes, and Hall jokingly rip on past ceremony hosts over glasses of red wine and cheese boards in the 30-second spot. “We just have to do better than last year’s host,” Sykes, 56, notes. Schumer, 40, then agrees, adding: “That is the thing, totally. It is a competition in that way.” The three gals take a moment to remember last year’s host (spoiler alert: there was none). They come to the conclusion that they can’t recall one, with the “Trainwreck” star laughing, “God, they must have sucked.” Hall, 51, explains that the last three years have gone without a host and Sykes replies, “Boom, we’re already winning!” Jimmy Kimmel was last the ringmaster of the prestigious ceremony in 2018. “We want people to get ready to have a good time. It’s been a while,” said Hall, Schumer and Sykes in a joint press statement just weeks ago. The in-person event airs on ABC from Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on March 27 at 8 p.m. ET — and will not require guests to show proof of vaccination. Several presenters for the festivities have been announced already, including A-listers such as Ruth E. Carter, Anthony Hopkins, Lily James, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, Uma Thurman, Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock and Yuh-Jung Youn. It was announced last month that the Oscars telecast won’t be airing eight of the 23 categories in an effort to make the ceremony “more thrilling.” Academy President David Rubin sent out a letter to members in February, explaining the change and asserted that the Best Picture category will be presented last, at the three-hour mark. Hosting won’t be the only thing back at the awards ceremony this year. The infamous Vanity Fair Oscars after-party will also be making a comeback. Insiders told Page Six that the VIP bash will take place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif. Organizers are ensuring that the venue will be reimagined as a more “open-air space.” It will be the first in-person Vanity Fair party for the awards show since Feb. 2020, weeks before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted life.
