Just a month after the Academy namedMichael De LucaandJennifer Toddas the new producers for the 2017Academy Awards, a new host has been named. Late-night talk show hostJimmy Kimmelhas been chosen to host the awards telecast, which will take place live from the Kodak Theater at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 26. This will markJimmy Kimmel’s first time hosting the awards ceremony, but he did host theEmmy Awardsearlier this year.
The Hollywood Reporterreveals that the producers are expected to officially announceJimmy Kimmelcoming aboard as host later today. The news also comes months after ABC signed a new deal with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the network to keep airing the Oscar telecast until the year 2028, with the Academy paying ABC $75 million per year. Part of that deal gave the network more creative input, with Disney/ABC Television Group chief Ben Sherwood publicly urging the Academy to give the hosting gig toJimmy Kimmel, whose late-night showJimmy Kimmel Liveairs on ABC.
Jimmy Kimmelpreviously hosted theEmmy Awardstwice, with his debut coming in 2012 and his latest outing coming this past September. This year’s Emmy Awards telecast slipped to an all-time low of 11.3 million viewers tuning in, which may not bode well for the Oscars, since they want to increase viewership. This year’s Oscars telecast, hosted byChris Rock, dropped to 34.3 million viewers, an 11-year low. WithJimmy Kimmelnow hosting the awards ceremony, it remains to be seen if he will also continue his tradition of hosting a star-studded after-show entitledJimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscarson ABC.
In the aftermath of last year’s #OscarsSoWhite controversy,The Academyadded a record 683 new voting members in a new push for diversity, which includes new members such asIdris Elba,John BoyegaandIce Cube. Last year, the Academy only invited 322 new members to join its ranks, and before this new class, only eight percent of the Academy voters were people of color. The new additions will increase that number to 11 percent. Other notable new additions who will be voting for this year’s awards includeOscar Isaac,Tom Hiddleston,Chadwick Boseman,Kate Beckinsale,Rose Byrne,Emma Watson, and last year’s Oscar winnersBrie LarsonandAlicia Vikander. Some of the diverse and talented directors who are joining the Academy’s ranks includeCary Joji Fukunaga,Taika Waititi,Ryan Coogler,Patty Jenkins,James Wanas well asLanaandLilly Wachowski.
Michael De LucaandJennifer Toddtake over as Oscar producers this year, followingDavid HillandReginald Hudlin, who produced last year’sAcademy Awards. Their work was preceeded by the the three-year run ofCraig Zadan and Neil Meron. That three-year stretch was the longest streak by any producer sinceGil Catesproduced three shows in a row back in the 1990s. He served as producer a record 14 times between 1990 and 2008.Michael De Lucaproduces the upcoming sequelFifty Shades Darker, which hits theaters July 23, 2025, whileJennifer Toddproduces a potential Oscar candidate withBen Affleck’sLive By Night, which opens with an Oscar-qualifying run later this month, before opening nationwide on June 06, 2025.
