AMPAS reports!
Beverly Hills, CA –– Hugh Jackman will host the 81st Academy Awards® telecast, producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon announced today. This will be Jackman’s first time center stage at the Oscar show, although he has previously been a presenter.
“Hugh Jackman is a consummate entertainer and an internationally renowned movie star,” said Mark and Condon in a joint statement. “He also has style, elegance and a sense of occasion. Hugh is the ideal choice to host a celebration of the year’s movies – and to have fun doing it.”
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Interesting.
I like him, so that’s cool.
Very inspired choice! He was sensational who he hosted the Tonys. I really can’t wait!
Excellent! It will most definitely be a classy show this year.
Love it.
I liked him when he hosted Tony’s. I dont think he can be worse than some recent hosts. At least he has that handsome face to look at, if nothing else!!!
I like this choice.
I didn’t see that one coming. I think it will be good, but I wish they’d bring Billy Crystal back before he’s too old.
This will probably be debated in the press, but he did win an Emmy for hosting the Tonys…and he was very good. I actually think it makes alot of sense…I just didnt think of it. Smart choice!
He was a natural choice for the Tonys, but for the Oscars? That’s a much bigger stage. From Nikki Finke’s postings, it seems like Jackman’s people are a little skittish about him singing and dancing (they do have his Wolverine film coming out soon).
He’s a nice, charming guy and I hope this works out, but it’ll be interesting to see what they actually do with him.
Good, I’m very glad! Wasn’t a big year for musicals, though. Will he sing an ABBA medley? Or better yet step in for Clint Eastwood and Miley Cyrus/John Travolta.
It hasn’t been a particularly great year for Australian actors, though when Ledger wins Jackman can have something to say.
I’m disappointed it’s not Bruno but this should be good. It’s encouraging that they seem to be rethinking the formula for the show; a change would do us all good.
Now that we’ve got a host, my mind is already turning to movie-appropriate Oscar party grub. We’re still weeks away from knowing the nominees, but still.
WALL-E will be at the show for certain, if only in the Animated Feature category, so let’s concoct some recipes for food-flavored shakes. And this year, everyone drinks their OWN damn milkshake.
And Twinkies! The Twinkie wasn’t deep-fried in the movie, but we can do it for the party, it’s allowed. And sinfully delicious.
ETA: And assuming Rachel Getting Married gets at least the nod for Anne Hathaway, we can serve sparkling water in champagne flutes.
I haven’t seen any of the late-year big-name contenders, so I’m working with what I have seen. Help me out!
I would have rather seen Ricky Gervais.
Huh?
Oh Gentle Benj, I’ll never be happy about Hugh hosting the Oscars, nor any other presenter, until I’ve seen Bruno doing it…
Hugh got his break doing “oklahoma”, won a tony for ” boy from oz”, bill condon of “dreamgirls” fame is producing…..let’s put on a musical! I hope the show will be filled with song and dance numbers
daniel day lewis is doing “nine”, he should sing the best actress presentation
Considering that Meryl, Kate, and Penelope can carry a tune, I think the winners should be required to sing their acceptance speeches.
murtada — Marion Cotillard is also doing Nine, and I’m thinking she should sing the Best Actor presentation.
Wow. I did NOT see that coming. Very interesting choice, I hope he’ll do great. Now we all just pray there won’t be a bloody actor’s strike…
K – even better, it should be a requirement for presenters this year – they have to sing their presentations!
Bruno who?
Great choice. Seems like they’ve nailed his poosibility of a nomination into the coffin. And by accepting, seems he agreed with them.
Dr. Cox from Scrubs wouldn’t be happy
No, Ben, Dr. Cox won’t be.
God I miss that show and am so glad it’s coming to ABC soon.
Of course they chose Hugh, he was just voted sexiest man alive, seems they really want ratings this year so they are marketing to women.
Who was in charge this year? I’m frightened that they made such a good choice. Next thing we know, they’ll give awards to movies that deserve them. And then I truly won’t know what to do with myself.
Was hoping it would be Rocco Sifredi or Ron Jeremy! Sad Panda.
Hope Jackman presents wearing nothing but a thong.
T.
I guess I’m in the very small intersecting part of the zen diagram of “people who don’t like musicals” and “people who watch the Oscars”
Hmmmm. Still Hugh is charismatic. I hope there’s not too much dancing.
A thong would be nice–I’d even settle for shirtless. I’m not sure how much singing and dancing there’ll actually be outside of the best song numbers, though. I think people kind of cringe at those kind of set pieces these days if they’re not a) ironic and b) not reflective of a particular nominee. Especially after the Rob Lowe-Snow White fiasco. Unless they are paying tribute to the Hollywood musical…in which case they might also bring out some stars from that era, like Rita Moreno, Liza Minelli, Shirley MacLaine…too bad Julie Andrews has lost her singing voice.
by the way, have they announced who’s getting the honorary Oscars this year yet?
In my opinion, kill musical numbers unless directly related to Score nominees, leave a small opening monologue, keep RIP segment, reduce Song nominees to 3, and give Shorts (doc and fiction) prior to the show, like those techie industry things. Sorry, but who cares!
T.
This should be the show:
Present the top 8 only.
Video montage of some sort.
A few musical numbers (somehow figure out how to include Radiohead)
It should last no longer than an hour and thirty.
Oh, the Hugh Jackman choice is whack. I don’t care about his charm or looks. If he ain’t funny, then its not worth watching. They need to invite Dave Chappelle to host.
My initial reaction: Hugh Jackman? Huh?!
After a couple minutes of thought: Interesting, but Bill Condon probably knows more about this stuff than I do…
Now: Maybe inspired, but I can’t shake the “wait and see” feeling.
Then again, I am a guy who liked Ellen, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart, and LOVES Whoopi Goldberg and her underappraciated hosting gigs…so maybe I won’t be as hard to please.
I don’t know… I mean, I’m sure Hugh Jackman will be great hosting, but I don’t think I like the idea of scrapping the opening monologue.
It’s usually one of my favourite parts, whether it’s more scathing like Jon Stewart’s or more idiosyncratic yet accessible (for lack of a better word) like Ellen’s…
I’m psyched. Especially if he wears that get-up from the last scene in Australia. : D
In related news, Australia receives 12 Academy Award nominations.
What a great choice he was so funny and charming when he hosted the Tonys. A breath of fresh air!
I never saw this one coming, but I like the choice. Definitely outside the box. It’ll be strange to not have a comedian up there on stage, trying to squeeze out laughs from lame jokes, but I think that’s a good thing. I was not a fan of either of Jon Stewart’s performances, so I’m all for something new and unexpected.
Interesting choice, but like someone else said, I had my heart set on Gervais.
i don’t know why people have been so harsh on stewart’s hosting of the show. i thought he was great both times.
I think it’s a wonderful choice, and makes perfect sense when paired with Condon. I would have like to see Gervais, but I’ll be damned if I complain about getting to stare at Hugh for 2+ hours!
Indeed, I also thought Jon Stewart and his style fit pretty nicely, but even if he wasn’t someone’s cup of tea, getting rid of some of the humour of the thing (again, like the monologue) doesn’t seem like a good idea to me, if the point is to draw an audience in and make it entertaining.
The way I see it, the oscars are, among other things, a night of back-patting and self-congratulation, so the least the celebs and industry folk can do is let us laugh with them, otherwise if they take each other too seriously (as in, “look at us, we’re so brilliant and classy and glamourous”), it becomes self-parody and we’re just laughing *at* them and their delusions of grandure, with no hint of irony in sight.
Although I admit, a part of me was really holding out hope for the in-your-face bitchy satire of gervais…
I’m not a huge fan of Jackman, I would have rather seen Timberlake
yeah, hes really funny and entertaining.
/sarcasm. Wheres Gervais? Big sadface. At least they could have done Stewart again.
My idea that will never, ever happen: fine, have Hugh Jackman host, introduce presenters, song and dance numbers, the accountants, whatever, but have someone like stewart or gervais or colbert (!… or, dare I dream, all three?) do an opening monologue.
that would be great, marty. if they just stormed in angry exclaiming that each one had been promised the hosting duties, kick jackman off stage and do their own fight/dance/comedy sequence for about 5 minutes until jackman comes back on with a couple other actors and fights them off.
or something of that manner. just thinking out loud.
Is this the first time that an Australian is hosting? Wait a sec, how many non-Americans have hosted in general?
Paul Hogan co-hosted in ‘87?
And the opening number is Hugh Jackman re-enacting his shower scene in Australia.
And his chest wins best supporting actor!
Definitely an interesting choice. I don’t know what I think of it…just have to wait and see.
I think if they really wanted ratings it should have been Colbert. The more I think about it, the more I think he would be perfect.
And I usually find the opening monologue kinda boring. I’ll be happy if it is very short or non-existant this year. Get to the awards, do them fast, add a dash of musical numbers, RIPs and tributes in between and get it all done in an hour and a half!
All the hosts that people have hated, I’ve loved, especially Letterman. I thought Stewart did an awesome job last year, too–much better than his first go around. Those unfamiliar with Jackman’s work as a host can simply YouTube him–there’s a lot of Tony Awards footage on there. Then you can offer an informed opinion.
I like the choice, but they need to get Billy Crystal back SOON! Here’s hoping for next year.
I also find it very ironic and kind of sad they picked the guy from the most (wrongfully) under-appreciated movie of the year.
I guess this is the only ever trip he’ll be making it to the Oscar podium outside of a presenter. He’s a really poor actor. The jokes better be stinging.
Cole, *exactly*! I especially love the musical number idea in the beginning, ’cause that uses the fact that jackman is a great song-and-dance man, and it keeps it light and less stuffy.
See, we’re doing the planning for them, if only they’d listen… : p
@ Marc: Bruno!
Look, the Academy needs to bring in viewers. They need the 18-34 demographic. Hugh Jackman is not going to bring in viewers. It’s just going to make the audience even more selective considering there’s not going to be much comedy. What the hell? They should’ve gone for someone like Conan O’ Brien, Sacha Baron Cohen or a personality that can carry a show like Steve Carrell, Will Ferrell or bring someone classic like Crystal or Martin. This pick is just ridiculous.
That’s a good point, Jason. Jackman isn’t the sort of host who will broaden the viewership. If the show’s producers want to attract the 18-34s, they should hope for a BP nod for The Dark Knight. WALL-E, too. Then they can run a bunch of ads billing the show as an epic battle royale between the Slumdog kid, the cute robot, and the goddamn Batman. I know I’m salivating.
Two words…..CONAN….O’BRIEN…..????? Oh wait I forgot he works at NBC. You know what I don’t hate on this its just I didn’t really expect him to become the host really, but I guess there has to be some sort of change to get the people’s attention to watch the OSCARS this year.
Good choice!
But still I´m a bit sad it´s not Kermit the Frog…
Craig Ferguson would’ve been cool. Or Chelsea Handler
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