We’re less than two months out from the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, and the Academy still hasn’t announced a replacement host for comedian Kevin Hart.
The Hollywood Reporter sounded the alarm Wednesday: “Sources within the Academy’s 300-person staff and 54-person board of governors have told The Hollywood Reporter that they have no idea how things are progressing, but they are growing concerned as Hollywood’s biggest night rapidly approaches. Indeed, not since Jon Stewart was announced as the host of the 78th Oscars on Jan. 5, 2006, and only once before that in the 21st century, when Whoopi Goldberg was announced as the host of the 74th on Jan. 7, 2002, has the search for a host extended into the calendar year of the show itself.”
While the Academy doesn’t appear to know exactly who they want, they do know who they don’t want, THR stresses: “someone who is socially divisive (especially after the Hart debacle), having concluded that politically-outspoken hosts have contributed to the show’s ratings declines in recent years; and they do not want someone who primarily appeals to older viewers, who are likely to watch the show regardless of who hosts.”
While the Academy hits the panic button, the ousted former host appears to be doing just fine. Not only is he now the second-highest paid comedian in the world(just after Jerry Seinfeld), his popularity hasn’t taken the hit many predicted. – READ MORE