Jimmy Kimmel would return as host of the Oscars

The organizers of the Academy Awards have decided to stick with a proven presenter: Jimmy Kimmel.

Mr. Kimmel, the late-night comedian who has hosted the event three times, will return to the Oscars stage on March 10 to emcee the 96th ceremony, according to two people briefed on the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity spoke because they were not authorized to make it public. Molly McNearney, the co-head writer and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC, will serve as executive producer for the 96th Oscar telecast.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not respond to requests for comment.

Seeking cultural relevance for the ceremony after a period of declining ratings, the academy and ABC, which broadcasts the Oscars, have bounced between different formats in recent years. They tried three presenters in 2022 (Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, Amy Schumer) and zero presenters, from 2019 to 2021. For the 2023 show, the academy returned to one presenter: Mr. Kimmel, who also did the job in 2017 and 2018. .

He delivered. According to Nielsen, viewership rose to nearly 19 million people this year, up from 16.6 million the year before and 10.4 million in 2021, the lowest ever. Before 2018, broadcasting had never dropped below 32 million.

Just as important for the academy, Mr. Kimmel’s return was free of controversy, restoring the luster to an event that was tarnished in 2022 when Will Smith marched on stage and punched Chris Rock. The academy and ABC also revamped the red carpet preshow and hired consultants with Met Gala experience to make star arrivals feel less chaotic and more glamorous. The red carpet was pushed aside in favor of a champagne-colored one.

Hosting the ceremony was once seen as a feather in the cap of top comedians like Billy Crystal, a nine-time host, and Whoopi Goldberg, a four-time MC. But many stars have grown wary of the time commitment and potential setbacks that hosting can bring. Trash-talking about the Oscars — because of the pompous talk, because of the choices voters make, because of its existence — has become a hallmark of the social media age.

Awards season in Hollywood got off to a slow start this time due to the actors’ strike, which prevented stars from promoting their completed work. Now that the strike has been resolved, studios and publicists have quickly ramped up awards campaigns, pushing stars like Emma Stone, a frontrunner for a best actress nomination for her riotous performance in the surreal comedy drama “Poor Things” and films like “American Fiction’. ”, a satire about a writer who puts together a fake memoir that relies on racial stereotypes.

Other films expected to feature prominently at the 96th Academy Awards include ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, both of which were major successes at the global box office. If they get as many nominations as people in Hollywood expect, that will help Mr. Kimmel: Oscar viewership tends to increase when popular films are honored.