Whoopi For The Oscars

Film fans across the globe heaved a sigh of relief this morning as it was confirmed that Steve Martin will not be hosting this year's Oscar ceremony. In what we hope is an effort to avoid a repeat last year's slimmed down and frill-free ceremony, popular Oscar host Whoopi Goldberg has been asked back to run the show for the fourth time. "Whoopi has great warmth, wit, humor, humanity and a social conscience - all qualities that I feel are essential for this year's show," said producer Laura Ziskin. "She is both an Oscar winner herself and an Oscar tradition." And we should hope so too. After growing accustomed to the wry witticisms of Billy Crystal, Steve Martin's ham-handed approach to last year's show left many people wondering what exactly they'd stayed up half the night for. True, his job wasn't made any easier by the Academy's decision to drop much of the ceremony's flourish and the fact that it followed on the heels of Stephen Fry's masterful work at the BAFTAs, but entertainment was scant nonetheless. Taking place on Sunday March 24, the 74th Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live from its new venue, Hollywood & Highland's Kodak Theatre. "It'll be the first broadcast done from Oscar's new home," said Goldberg, "and I love a housewarming." Empire Online is more than pleased that the Academy have come knocking on Goldberg's door this year and the prospect of working through the night to bring you all the news from the event has just become a lot less painful.