“I don’t remember last year’s host,” Wanda trails off. “God, they must’ve sucked,” Amy replies as Wanda guesses they must have gotten “canceled.”
“Oh wait,” Regina perks up. “There wasn’t a host last year. Or the year before. Or the year before.” Wanda then chips in, “Boom! We’re already winning!” Amy adds, “We’re nailing it!” as they all high-five each other.
Although the women have proved to be an ideal choice, producers of the show threw around around a few different options for hosting, with talks of Mad Men star Jon Hamm as well as Pete Davidson being in the mix. An insider, however, told Variety that only an “informal conversation” took place with the SNL comedian. Pete is a huge draw for competing network NBC on SNL, so it was not necessarily in ABC’s best interest to promote him.Why Three Hosts?
Since it’s the first time the Academy Awards have ever booked three hosts to helm the show ship, fans may be wondering what went into the decision. Although the production has thrived on single hosts in the past, such as comedic legend Bob Hope, who hosted 19 times, or Billy Crystal, who hosted 9 times, there are great benefits to having three different stars to lead the telecast. Some of the best moments in awards show history involved dynamic duos and trios, bouncing off each other comedically. One can recall funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler who successfully hosted the Golden Globes four times, or that memorable moment between Amy Schumer herself and actress Jennifer Lawrence when they presented at the 2016 Globes.The last time three people hosted the show was 1987 with Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan. Moreover, the only time there were multiple women in the lineup was 45 years ago at the 1977 Oscars, when Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, Warren Beatty and Richard Pryor held court for the evening. The Academy has never done a multi-segment show before, and the women will each host a separate hour — a notable ceremony revamp that show producer, Will Packer, has ardently defended. “I think it was the right decision,” Packer told Variety. “We have to understand that the Academy Awards show as we know it is at an inflection point. The next coming years, especially this year, are going to be a harbinger for what this show will become.”
He added, “You have to do something else, and you have to think about this as an entertainment property. The Oscars are no different than any of the other award shows that are having that same challenges.” Considering the show’s plummeting ratings, a record low 13.75 million viewer drop in 2021, per Variety, producers are definitely trying to innovate and think of new ways to keep audiences entertained and surprised.
Moreover, as the ladies noted in the teaser video, the show has not had a host — or more than one host — in the past three years. The last person to host the Oscars was Jimmy Fallon who was the emcee for both the 2017 and 2018 broadcasts. The ceremony has since been struck by controversy and setbacks, with 2019’s show going host-less after the appointed Kevin Hart bowed out following resurfaced homophobic tweets from his past. Producers scrambled to find a new host, but when their search was fruitless, they decided to forgo one entirely. After viewers were somewhat favorable to the adjustment, they decided to do the same experiment in 2020 and then, pandemic-related struggles ensued, causing more of a shift toward a non-traditional format.What To Know About The Ceremony
The 94th Academy Awards will be held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 27 and will broadcast live on ABC. Fans are of course eager for the “Big Four” categories, aka Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture. All eyes are on first-time nominee Kristen Stewart for her portrayal as Princess Diana in Spencer as well as oft-nominated, not-yet-won hopefuls Will Smith, Andrew Garfield, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Jane Campion is another hopeful in the Best Director category for her breathtaking work The Power of the Dog, as only two women, Kathryn Bigelow and Chloé Zhao, have previously taken home the prize. Paul Thomas Anderson may also be on the precipice of a win, after having five films nominated in the past between the directing and screenplay categories.
“This year’s show is all about uniting movie lovers. It’s apropos that we’ve lined up three of the most dynamic, hilarious women with very different comedic styles,” producer Packer stated about the show, per the New York Post. “I know the fun Regina, Amy and Wanda will be having will translate to our audience as well. Many surprises in store! Expect the unexpected!”
