After a long streak of going without a host, the 2022 Oscars will once again have an emcee. For the first time since 2018, the awards show will be led by a yet-to-be-named host. The telecast is set to air on March 27 on ABC. Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, announced the news on Tuesday during the winter Television Critics Association virtual press tour. It comes after years of trying out new formats, including a variety of celeb cameos. For 2019’s show, Kevin Hart was slated to host, but stepped down within days of being tapped after controversy emerged over his past homophobic tweets. The show proceeded without any host and turned out to be a surprising success, with a ratings boost and critical praise. It also didn’t hurt that the show was 30 minutes shorter — a reprieve from its usual nearly four-hour-long slog. In 2020 and 2021, the show stuck with the host-less format, save for a few jabs from serial Hollywood roaster Ricky Gervais. This year, Glenn Weiss will direct the Oscars and Will Packer will produce. “You heard it here first,” Erwich said. “Will really has his pulse on popular culture and entertainment. I know he has a lot in store and we’ll have more details to share soon.” Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Oscars in 2017 and 2018. Only about 26.62 million people tuned in for the latter telecast. The ratings for the ceremony in recent years have plummeted to new depths. Ratings for the prepandemic 2020 show had 23.64 million viewers and then last year’s show dropped to a sad 10.40 million. Other hosts that have taken to the stage in recent years included Chris Rock in 2016, Neil Patrick Harris in 2015, Ellen DeGeneres in 2014, Seth MacFarlane in 2013, Billy Crystal in 2012 and James Franco along with Anne Hathaway in 2011. Hart was on track to host the 2019 show, however, his past controversial tweets resurfaced and he “made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars,” Hart wrote in a statement on Twitter at the time. “This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists.” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” star Tom Holland recently revealed that he was interested in the hosting gig. “If they ask me to, I would, and it would be very fun,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “I would really enjoy it.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Academy did reach out to Holland.
