Monday, December 5, 2011

Billy Crystal to Replace Eddie Murphy as Oscar Host


It's official. Billy Crystal will host the 84th Academy Awards ceremony Feburay 26, 2012 on ABC.  Brian Grazer and Don Mischer will take over for Brett Ratner as producers.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Billy back to the Oscar® stage," said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak  in a press release on the Oscar website. "He's a comic legend and Oscar icon, and it feels good to have him back where he belongs."

Always a fan favorite, the 63-year-old Crystal is a logical choice. It will be the comedian's ninth time as host of the show, second only to Bob Hope who hosted 19 times. The question now seems to be whether or not Crystal can pull young viewers as well as he is likely to attract viewers from the Baby Boomer and Gen X demographics.

Crystal is quoted in the same release:  "Some of the best moments of my career have happened on the Oscar stage. I am thrilled to be back there. Actually, I am doing this so that the young woman in my pharmacy will stop asking me my name when I pick up my prescriptions."

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