Huzzah! Hurrah! Praise be! After last year’s dismally unfunny event, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, it would appear that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has come to its senses and rehired Jon Stewart to host the 80th Oscars!
The news will apparently be confirmed later today by AMPAS, according to the New York Times, with Stewart returning for his second tuxedoed stint on February 24th.
The comedian – who, of course, hosts the quite brilliant ‘news’ show, The Daily Show, and is perhaps America’s most famous satirist – last hosted the Oscars in 2006. Warm, funny, intelligent and unafraid to make the odd political remark, he went down a storm, as far as Empire is concerned.
So naturally he wasn’t rehired for last year’s event, forcing us to fear that he might join Chris Rock and David Letterman – both Oscar hosts who delighted in kicking, rather than kissing, the massive egos of the attendees – as one-time only deals.
But now Stewart – whose own glittering movie career includes bit parts in The Faculty and Death To Smoochy – is back back back, and our interest levels have risen.
So, that date again – February 24, 2008. We’ll be up all night for it. Will you?